I'm attempting a Blog, since it's all the rage. While I'm a late-comer to Blogging, I was one of the first people to LiveJournal, so I'm not that far behind. :)
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Thursday, August 11, 2005
So, here's the big trip report on the most recent trip to fabulous Las Vegas.
We had an afternoon/evening flight. Got in to Vegas around 6:00pm. Grabbed our luggage and found the Dollar rental car shuttle without much of a problem. We hopped on, I identified myself as a "fastlane" member (now "Dollar Express"), and the driver found me on the sheet and told me that I'd be able to pick any of the midsize cars at the lot (what my reservation was for). I showed him a free upgrade coupon that I had (and a $10 bill underneath it) and asked him how the upgrade coupon works. He told me that the coupon would upgrade me from a midsize to a full size, and to just give that to the people at the lot exit. I groaned internally at that point, since I figured that the $10 tip might get me further than what I already had. But, no matter -- I was in Vegas!
We drove to the lot -- had a really nice conversation with the driver, actually -- he asked where we were from, where we were staying, etc. etc. We got there, he handed us our bags, and I thanked him and handed him the $10 anyway -- he was really nice... and I was in Vegas! :)
We got there, and there were no midsize or full size cars to be found, and there was a small crowd at the pick-up tent. Upon seeing the lack of cars, I looked for our shuttle driver, and he was still there, with his window open. I walked over and asked, "Okay, so what do I do if there are no full size cars available?" He told me to hold on a second, and ran inside. He came back, and said, "We're going to get you upgraded to a 300." A Chrysler 300. :) Seems my $10 wasn't a bad investment after all, as we got upgraded to a luxury class car for the price of a midsize. :) He took us inside, explained to the desk guy that we needed to be upgraded, and left us in good hands. The desk person printed up some paperwork for us, and told us to wait outside for a few minutes and we'd have a car. While we were waiting, we saw a couple offered a PT Cruiser convertible for their "midsize" car, which they took, and then a staff member drove up in a 300 for us. Nice. $13.99 + tax a day for four days for a Chrysler 300. Something like $87 total for the Sunday - Thursday trip.
Chrysler 300 - click to enlarge
We drove straight to the LV Hilton. I knew they still had the $1 Million "Supernova" game, which I got 6/7 of the way through last trip (7/7 would have been $1 Million) (and we didn't have a new "Resorts International" card, so we got one which entitled us to a free play each). We also used coupons from the American Casino Guide for coupons for their buffet (buy one get one with new slot club signup). I think I made it through three letters at Supernova, and won a Hilton keychain. I played Pick 'Em at the Spacequest bar -- turned my $20 into $40 and cashed out with that and a couple of drinks. I then made my way to the Pai Gow table to try and get entered into their upcoming tournament. I verified that the promotion was still on, and bought in for $100. I won all of two hands, pushed a couple, and lost the rest. Didn't get a single Fortune bonus (including the flush to qualify), and burned through $125 in less than 15 minutes. I was quite unhappy about that. I've seen bad streaks at Pai Gow -- I just wish I wasn't involved with that one. We played some $.01 slots, and then decided we were hungry. Off to the buffet, 2-for-1 coupon in hand. About $14 got us dinner for two, and it was really pretty good. I enjoyed the cooked-to-order pasta station, as well as many of the other selections.
I threw three dollars into the Megabucks machine -- didn't win. :)
It was getting to be later in the evening, and time to go check in at Main Street Station. Took I-15 to downtown, and checked in. I had requested one of the remodeled rooms, and got one -- we were at the end of the hall on the 17th floor, facing the highway. The room really was nice, and the towels were provided in the room without having to make a special request, and they didn't even have any holes in them. :) Actually, once we saw the room we wondered if we had made a mistake in staying there only two nights rather than all four.
MSS Room - click for more pictures
The in-room safe was closed and locked -- I asked about it at the front desk, and was told that someone would be sent up to look into it -- either nobody ever came, or they weren't able to open it as it remained closed and locked the entire trip. No biggie, though, as I didn't really have the need to use it.
We played some Treasure Chest Video Poker -- I got a couple of 4-of-a-kinds for 140 credits each time, and a $5 and $3 scratch card. We then wandered out towards Freemont street, and spent the rest of the evening downtown (I recall a $.99 Shrimp Cocktail at the Golden Gate), ending up back at MSS for some serious VP. Didn't win a ton anywhere, didn't lose a ton, either. An average night for gambling.
I don't remember what all we did the second day. I'm fairly sure we hit the Boulder Strip that day, looking for Cash King Checkers at Sam's Town (it's gone), and then spending some gambling time at Boulder Station. We ate at the buffet there (ACG 2-for-1) during "lunch" (3:30pm or so), so $6 for two of us. I think we left a $5 tip for our server there, as he was very good. I strongly recommend this buffet to anyone visiting -- we've been there three times now, and have been very happy with the food, especially for the price. If memory serves, we also dabbled around on the strip that night, going to the Luxor, Aladdin, Riveria, and perhaps some others. We ended up going back to downtown, wandering Freemont street, and back to MSS for some more VP.
The second day was, without a doubt, the worst streak of gambling I have ever had. I couldn't win ANYTHING. I couldn't get a hand in VP to save my life. At one point, I resorted to the slots as a diversion, and reality was almost reversed -- I was losing at VP, and then winning money back in the slots. Usually it's the other way around. It was an AWFUL day for gambling -- I think I lost about $500 (a lot for me to lose in one day -- chump change to other people, I'm sure). It was discouraging.
Around Midnight or so, we went to the Triple 7 brewpub at MSS for some late-night food. We split a pizza and an order of chicken fingers. Good food, and charged it to the room. :) We then did some more Freemont Street wandering, and wound up at the Vegas Club. We hit a few slot machines, and I happened to glance over at the bar and noticed something really strange -- a progressive sign that indicated "$2450.34". I couldn't believe it was possible, but we went to the bar and sure enough, the progressive on their $.25 video poker was over $2400! I plunked my butt down, and threw in a twenty. The bartender there was really nice, and they had Bacardi Razz, the rum (my favorite). The bartender commented that he has worked at LVC for six years, and has never seen that progressive that high. Sadly, I didn't hit the Royal, but my luck had finally turned around as that first $20 lasted (honestly) two and a half hours. I hit two or three four-of-a-kinds (I was playing Bonus Poker), and was just generally doing well. I drank quite well that night -- even taught the bartender a shot that he hadn't heard of. I wound up staying there for about three to four hours -- only invested $80 all together into the VP, and had a really great time. Four to the Royal at least three or four times, but never quite enough.
Got only a few hours of sleep at MSS that night, but I was up and ready to go the next morning. We hit the MSS buffet for breakfast (I'm pretty sure we had a 2-for-1 from somewhere -- perhaps the ACG?). Charged it to the room, and then got our stuff together to check out. I checked in with my host, Ipo, who looked at my play and told me that I was going to have to stay at Casino Rate. I understood -- if I had purely gambled at MSS I would have expected more, but we were all over downtown and even the strip. While it would have been nice to have the room comped, it wasn't the end of the world, and quite frankly I like not being tied down to one place for gambling. I'm sure I gambled enough to at least get some discounted room offers in the future.
On a whim, I went back to the host desk and asked if she could take care of any of our food. She made a call to find out how much we had spent (somewhere in the $30 range), and gave me a slip that comped it all. When checking out, I tried to use the Las Vegas Advisor "free night" coupon, but was told that I would have had to have booked my reservation using that coupon. I insisted that I *had* asked to use it when I booked (I really did), and that I had been told to just present it at the desk. The desk lady told me that my host might be able to do something, but that she couldn't. I think I was beginning to annoy Ipo as it was the third time she was seeing me in about fifteen minutes. I explained the situation, she made a call, and then took the coupon and gave me the free night. I think she was probably bending the rules, although legitimately, I wasn't getting anything more than I was entitled to with the coupon. Regardless, I think Ipo is awesome, and I plan to send her a token "thank you" gift, because she really was good to me.
Right, enough about all of that. I wanted another crack at the $2400 progressive at the Las Vegas Club. We spent another hour or two there, and I finally gave up on it. We wandered over to the (creepy) Plaza, as I had read that the Plaza has the "Chase The Royal" video poker game. I didn't see it anywhere, but did find a game that looked interesting -- "Double Pay Poker". I picked nickles, and took a crack at it. It's a triple play game, and there's a paytable for the initial deal (a different deal on all three hands), and then for the final outcome of the three hands using the bottom hand to hold cards on all three, like a traditional triple-play game. I was max betting, which on nickles was 30 credits, or $1.50. My fourth hand or so, I'm dealt an ace and queen of spades and three throwaway cards. Wouldn't you believe it, I drew the 10, king, and ace of spades for a Royal Flush on the bottom hand....for a whopping $200. I was steamed, as I had spent a collective 5 hours at the Vegas Club betting $1.25 a hand chasing a $2400 Royal, and here I bet $1.50 for a $200 payout. I just kept shaking my head at the machine. In reality, though, that $200 made up for money I spent chasing the other Royal, so it wasn't bad. I mean really, who would complain about winning $200? :)
After the Plaza, we got back in the 300 and drove to northern Las Vegas -- to the Rampart, specifically. I feel stupid for this, but I knew I wanted to go to the Rampart, but I couldn't remember why. We did have a 50-coin 4-of-a-kind bonus coupon from the ACG to use there, but I couldn't get a 4-of-a-kind to save my life there. The Rampart also had $.01 Price Is Right slot machines -- I've never seen those less than $.05 before or since. Strangely, the $.01 Plinko had some software glitches. Music wouldn't play when it was supposed to. The wheel "dinged" when I went over (rather than playing the 'losing horns'). Weird.
Rampart Casino - click for more pictures
I neglected to realize that the reason I wanted to go to the Rampart was for Cash King Checkers. I didn't see it, and forgot to really look for it or ask about it. :sigh: The Rampart was also rather hot inside, at least compared to other casinos. We each used a $5 match play coupon at an empty blackjack table. I asked the dealer if he minded if we did a "hit and run" -- he said he didn't mind at all. I threw a $1 tip bet out there on my bet, too. My friend lost his bet, and I pushed. The dealer checked with the floorman -- the coupon remained after the push (I know other casinos give you one crack at it, win, lose, or push). So, I got a second chance with the coupon. Sadly, I also lost my hand. The dealer thanked me for the tip bet, and I thanked him for his time.
We left North Las Vegas and headed towards The Orleans. We stopped on the way at the Gold Coast, as my friend had a $6 TITO voucher from the last visit (expired by date). We asked at the change booth, and after a quick radio call, they were given the go-ahead to cash it, and I decided that I wanted to play some VP. I was headed for a bank of machines near the back of the casino, but then remembered that the bars there have 9/6 JOB, and that there would be better drink service at the bar, so I stopped at the bar I was at, and plunked myself down. Threw $20 into the machine, and started playing. About five or so hands in, dealt the K-J-Q-10 of hearts. Held those four, and without hesitation hit the "Draw" button. Ace of hearts!!! Got my Royal after all! ...although it was only ("only") for $1000 instead of that $2400 I had been chasing. I called my friend, and while I was on the phone with him, I noticed something interesting. The screen was flashing, "Jackpot! $2000". I said, "Wait a second -- holy crap, I'm playing $.50! I won $2000!!!" I have to thank the person ahead of me, whomever that was, because they had changed the multi-denom machine to be $.50 instead of $.25! What a surprise that was!
$2000 Royal - click to enlarge
So, I got my first W2G, and $2000 in cash handed to me. :)
We went over to the Rio shortly afterward. My friend signed up for a slot card and was given a TPiR t-shirt and a Win Finder. I asked how to get a Win Finder without signing up for their slot club (as I already had one), and was told that they were being handed out at Harrah's until 5:00 that day, and they would be at the Rio from noon-5 the next day (Wednesday). The Win Finder "might" start blinking after an hour. If it did, you could turn it in to play Plinko to win up to $100!
We decided that it was as good a time as any, so we headed over to the Orleans to check in for our last two nights in Vegas. Checked in, and then headed straight to Harrah's. We each got a Win Finder there, and I won a TPiR t-shirt when they scanned my card to get the Win Finder! Played a little VP there, left up $10, and wandered around the Harrah's section of the strip. No blinking on any of our Win Finders from either Harrah's or Rio.
The Orleans room pictures - click for more
We each signed up at Casino Royale for their slot club, got our "$50 in free slot play" (we didn't win anything), and then plunked down for some Video Poker. I played Shockwave (I love that game!), and eventually got a single 4-of-a-kind for the $25 bonus coupon from the slot club "fun book" (sheet of coupons). I didn't (sadly) get another 4-of-a-kind within ten hands, so no extra $1000 from the machine. We played the WOF slot, and I did get to spin the wheel, but did not qualify for the $10 bonus coupon (if you spin "40" or higher, you can use the coupon for a $10 bonus). Left a few dollars there, and continued wandering. We went to the Imperial Palace for the first time ever. Saw the "dealertainers", and my friend spun the wheel for a free buffet coupon for his new slot club sign-up. I threw away my t-shirt coupon from the wheel -- I'll spin it again and sign up at a later date, provided I spin something decent. We wound up never using the buffet coupon, either.
I wanted to go to the bank because I didn't care for the idea of carrying my $2000 Royal Flush winnings around. We drove to a (somewhat) nearby branch, and I deposited $1800 of it. I think we went back to The Orleans and hit the pool after that, staying out there until the pool's closing time (8:00 PM). We used an ACG 2-for-1 coupon and ate dinner at the Orleans buffet. Fair. Not really worth the price of admission without a 2-for-1, in my opinion.
Played some more VP and slots at The Orleans (played $.01 Othello slots and completed the bonus round for something like a win of $15 on a $.01 machine), then decided to hit one of the local clubs. Had a decent time, and then around 3:00 AM we headed back to the Strip. I know we ended up at the Monte Carlo that evening, and I made some fair money on a particular "Jackpot Poker" video poker game that has always treated me well. ...and, the Monte has Bacardi Razz (LVC, Monte Carlo, and the Cannery are the only three casinos I know of that carry it, although I'm sure others do). Hit a few 4-of-a-kinds there, only 150 credits each time, though. The machine is so damn loud, too, and it's my fault. My last trip, about three months ago, the machine had zero volume. I asked if a tech could turn it up, and he did -- way too loud. Before he closed it up, I asked him to turn it down a little, which he did, but the end result is that it is still the loudest machine in the row. It was a riot to be generating half the noise of the casino at 4:00 AM. :)
Finally went back to The Orleans. I think we crashed into bed at that point.
Wednesday was our last full day in Vegas. We drove to the Rio for the Win Finders (no winning found us), and Bellagio during the day -- got some great outdoor pictures from there. Took the tram to the Monte Carlo, played a little more there and then walked to New York - New York. We still had our ESPN Zone $20 certificates to redeem. Played a little at NYNY. I love the Family Feud slots, although they're awful tight. We then decided it was dinner time, so off to ESPN Zone. They were still out of the coolers, so he took my address and is sending them to me. We each got our $20 voucher, as well as our free game cards. Dinner was great. We split an appetizer, and each got a different burger. $38 total tab -- had to pay $2 or so in tax (the more I think about that, I think they're ringing up their coupons wrong, but I digress), and tipped eight or nine dollars because our server was really great. It was a great experience -- the food being free made it even better. :) Upstairs, we used the free video game cards and played a few different games, including a round of bowlingo.
We hit the MGM Grand. I got to play "Austin Powers Video Poker" which was a hoot -- it needed more volume, though. We even trammed it over to the Luxor again, but didn't stay long, and made our way back to Bellagio. I figured, "What the heck", and we walked from Excalibur all the way to Bellagio, rather than taking the tram from Monte Carlo over. We stopped in Boardwalk, which was the first time I had ever been there. Nothing too special, but not as creepy as it looks from the outside. I was pumped because there was a technician from IGT setting up a brand new bank of The Price Is Right slot machines -- "Money Game". Unfortunately, the games were not up and running yet, so I didn't get to play. We did find the Family Feud video slot (I knew it existed, but had never played it), and got to see the bonus round, so life was good. Over to Bellagio, saw a fountain show (Luck Be a Lady Tonight), and then picked up the car.
Bellagio fountains at night - click for more pictures
I wanted to use the ACG coupons we had at the Hard Rock for their slot club sign-up, so we went over there at around 11:00pm. Signed up, got the coupon sheet, and played some. I only got up to 7 points after some VP and slot play, so I didn't get a chance to cash in the "bring this back when you get 10 ponts for a gift" coupon. We did each get a free shot glass from the gift shop. I used the LVA $10 matchplay coupon for a hand of "no bust blackjack" (I know it's an awful game, but I was playing one hand, and it was the only $10 table I could find at the time.) I lost. The slot club coupons also had a $10 matchplay, so I found a different blackjack table and sat down to use it. The dealer was in the middle of a handshuffle, which gave the floorperson plenty of time to see my coupon, pick it up, read it, and then grill me about it, asking where I got it, if I was a new slot club sign-up, where my slot club card was, etc. Kinda being an ass about it, if you ask me. I was peeved from the experience. I played one hand with $10 and the coupon, won, and cashed in. As I said, I was peeved about how much I was hassled to use a coupon that THEY issued, and didn't want any further part of playing there. When all was said and done, I was still up $10 there on their matchplay coupons. (Lost $10, won $20.)
We left, and got stuck in traffic (at Midnight! Darn construction EVERYWHERE!). We finally made it to the south valet at Wynn, and left the car there. We went into Wynn, and enjoyed the surroundings again (I was there on opening night). We took pictures of the non-casino areas, and got to see the last water show of the night (from the inside, sadly, as there was nothing open to let us go outside).
I think I broke even at $.25 video poker, and left a few $$ behind at the slots. A great time, though, but it was time to go. Back to The Orleans we went, and did some more gambling there. We ate at the 24-hour Subway inside the hotel (with the 15% off coupon from the hotel funbook), and then I played a bonus VP game while my friend hit the slots. Within 20 minutes I hit the four aces for $200. :) Bed called shortly after that, although I did take a crack at the "Double Down Stud" game which had a $21,000 progressive jackpot for a (essentially) dealt Royal. No such luck, but did do okay on the game.
The next day we checked out, sad that we would be leaving Las Vegas later that afternoon. I had wanted to check out Terrible's, so we did go there for lunch (2-for-1 buffet coupon) and some gambling. I would much rather spend the same money for the Boulder Station buffet. The Terrible's buffet wasn't "terrible", but it wasn't much to write about, either. I was under-impressed with the casino, too.
We were going to head to a south-strip casino to spend our last hour or so before having to head to the airport, but we literally got stuck in traffic for an hour on the back streets of Las Vegas. Construction (of what I don't know because we never saw anyone working) had most of the streets down to 1 lane, which caused backups as far as the eye could see. If we could have gotten to it, taking Las Vegas Blvd. would have been faster moving. The end result was that we had time to gas up the car, but if we went anywhere else we would have had time enough to go inside, and leave ten minutes later.
So, we returned the car a little earlier than planned, shuttled over to the airport, and I threw about $80 into the airport video poker machines. Couldn't hit anything there, either. Finally (three hours later!) our plane left, and we had an awesome view of the south end of the strip (looking to the north) out the right side of the plane.
All in all, I think I'm up about $1500 for the trip, including hotel, meals, car, etc. Another great Vegas trip, and I can't wait to go back!
We had an afternoon/evening flight. Got in to Vegas around 6:00pm. Grabbed our luggage and found the Dollar rental car shuttle without much of a problem. We hopped on, I identified myself as a "fastlane" member (now "Dollar Express"), and the driver found me on the sheet and told me that I'd be able to pick any of the midsize cars at the lot (what my reservation was for). I showed him a free upgrade coupon that I had (and a $10 bill underneath it) and asked him how the upgrade coupon works. He told me that the coupon would upgrade me from a midsize to a full size, and to just give that to the people at the lot exit. I groaned internally at that point, since I figured that the $10 tip might get me further than what I already had. But, no matter -- I was in Vegas!
We drove to the lot -- had a really nice conversation with the driver, actually -- he asked where we were from, where we were staying, etc. etc. We got there, he handed us our bags, and I thanked him and handed him the $10 anyway -- he was really nice... and I was in Vegas! :)
We got there, and there were no midsize or full size cars to be found, and there was a small crowd at the pick-up tent. Upon seeing the lack of cars, I looked for our shuttle driver, and he was still there, with his window open. I walked over and asked, "Okay, so what do I do if there are no full size cars available?" He told me to hold on a second, and ran inside. He came back, and said, "We're going to get you upgraded to a 300." A Chrysler 300. :) Seems my $10 wasn't a bad investment after all, as we got upgraded to a luxury class car for the price of a midsize. :) He took us inside, explained to the desk guy that we needed to be upgraded, and left us in good hands. The desk person printed up some paperwork for us, and told us to wait outside for a few minutes and we'd have a car. While we were waiting, we saw a couple offered a PT Cruiser convertible for their "midsize" car, which they took, and then a staff member drove up in a 300 for us. Nice. $13.99 + tax a day for four days for a Chrysler 300. Something like $87 total for the Sunday - Thursday trip.
Chrysler 300 - click to enlarge
We drove straight to the LV Hilton. I knew they still had the $1 Million "Supernova" game, which I got 6/7 of the way through last trip (7/7 would have been $1 Million) (and we didn't have a new "Resorts International" card, so we got one which entitled us to a free play each). We also used coupons from the American Casino Guide for coupons for their buffet (buy one get one with new slot club signup). I think I made it through three letters at Supernova, and won a Hilton keychain. I played Pick 'Em at the Spacequest bar -- turned my $20 into $40 and cashed out with that and a couple of drinks. I then made my way to the Pai Gow table to try and get entered into their upcoming tournament. I verified that the promotion was still on, and bought in for $100. I won all of two hands, pushed a couple, and lost the rest. Didn't get a single Fortune bonus (including the flush to qualify), and burned through $125 in less than 15 minutes. I was quite unhappy about that. I've seen bad streaks at Pai Gow -- I just wish I wasn't involved with that one. We played some $.01 slots, and then decided we were hungry. Off to the buffet, 2-for-1 coupon in hand. About $14 got us dinner for two, and it was really pretty good. I enjoyed the cooked-to-order pasta station, as well as many of the other selections.
I threw three dollars into the Megabucks machine -- didn't win. :)
It was getting to be later in the evening, and time to go check in at Main Street Station. Took I-15 to downtown, and checked in. I had requested one of the remodeled rooms, and got one -- we were at the end of the hall on the 17th floor, facing the highway. The room really was nice, and the towels were provided in the room without having to make a special request, and they didn't even have any holes in them. :) Actually, once we saw the room we wondered if we had made a mistake in staying there only two nights rather than all four.
MSS Room - click for more pictures
The in-room safe was closed and locked -- I asked about it at the front desk, and was told that someone would be sent up to look into it -- either nobody ever came, or they weren't able to open it as it remained closed and locked the entire trip. No biggie, though, as I didn't really have the need to use it.
We played some Treasure Chest Video Poker -- I got a couple of 4-of-a-kinds for 140 credits each time, and a $5 and $3 scratch card. We then wandered out towards Freemont street, and spent the rest of the evening downtown (I recall a $.99 Shrimp Cocktail at the Golden Gate), ending up back at MSS for some serious VP. Didn't win a ton anywhere, didn't lose a ton, either. An average night for gambling.
I don't remember what all we did the second day. I'm fairly sure we hit the Boulder Strip that day, looking for Cash King Checkers at Sam's Town (it's gone), and then spending some gambling time at Boulder Station. We ate at the buffet there (ACG 2-for-1) during "lunch" (3:30pm or so), so $6 for two of us. I think we left a $5 tip for our server there, as he was very good. I strongly recommend this buffet to anyone visiting -- we've been there three times now, and have been very happy with the food, especially for the price. If memory serves, we also dabbled around on the strip that night, going to the Luxor, Aladdin, Riveria, and perhaps some others. We ended up going back to downtown, wandering Freemont street, and back to MSS for some more VP.
The second day was, without a doubt, the worst streak of gambling I have ever had. I couldn't win ANYTHING. I couldn't get a hand in VP to save my life. At one point, I resorted to the slots as a diversion, and reality was almost reversed -- I was losing at VP, and then winning money back in the slots. Usually it's the other way around. It was an AWFUL day for gambling -- I think I lost about $500 (a lot for me to lose in one day -- chump change to other people, I'm sure). It was discouraging.
Around Midnight or so, we went to the Triple 7 brewpub at MSS for some late-night food. We split a pizza and an order of chicken fingers. Good food, and charged it to the room. :) We then did some more Freemont Street wandering, and wound up at the Vegas Club. We hit a few slot machines, and I happened to glance over at the bar and noticed something really strange -- a progressive sign that indicated "$2450.34". I couldn't believe it was possible, but we went to the bar and sure enough, the progressive on their $.25 video poker was over $2400! I plunked my butt down, and threw in a twenty. The bartender there was really nice, and they had Bacardi Razz, the rum (my favorite). The bartender commented that he has worked at LVC for six years, and has never seen that progressive that high. Sadly, I didn't hit the Royal, but my luck had finally turned around as that first $20 lasted (honestly) two and a half hours. I hit two or three four-of-a-kinds (I was playing Bonus Poker), and was just generally doing well. I drank quite well that night -- even taught the bartender a shot that he hadn't heard of. I wound up staying there for about three to four hours -- only invested $80 all together into the VP, and had a really great time. Four to the Royal at least three or four times, but never quite enough.
Got only a few hours of sleep at MSS that night, but I was up and ready to go the next morning. We hit the MSS buffet for breakfast (I'm pretty sure we had a 2-for-1 from somewhere -- perhaps the ACG?). Charged it to the room, and then got our stuff together to check out. I checked in with my host, Ipo, who looked at my play and told me that I was going to have to stay at Casino Rate. I understood -- if I had purely gambled at MSS I would have expected more, but we were all over downtown and even the strip. While it would have been nice to have the room comped, it wasn't the end of the world, and quite frankly I like not being tied down to one place for gambling. I'm sure I gambled enough to at least get some discounted room offers in the future.
On a whim, I went back to the host desk and asked if she could take care of any of our food. She made a call to find out how much we had spent (somewhere in the $30 range), and gave me a slip that comped it all. When checking out, I tried to use the Las Vegas Advisor "free night" coupon, but was told that I would have had to have booked my reservation using that coupon. I insisted that I *had* asked to use it when I booked (I really did), and that I had been told to just present it at the desk. The desk lady told me that my host might be able to do something, but that she couldn't. I think I was beginning to annoy Ipo as it was the third time she was seeing me in about fifteen minutes. I explained the situation, she made a call, and then took the coupon and gave me the free night. I think she was probably bending the rules, although legitimately, I wasn't getting anything more than I was entitled to with the coupon. Regardless, I think Ipo is awesome, and I plan to send her a token "thank you" gift, because she really was good to me.
Right, enough about all of that. I wanted another crack at the $2400 progressive at the Las Vegas Club. We spent another hour or two there, and I finally gave up on it. We wandered over to the (creepy) Plaza, as I had read that the Plaza has the "Chase The Royal" video poker game. I didn't see it anywhere, but did find a game that looked interesting -- "Double Pay Poker". I picked nickles, and took a crack at it. It's a triple play game, and there's a paytable for the initial deal (a different deal on all three hands), and then for the final outcome of the three hands using the bottom hand to hold cards on all three, like a traditional triple-play game. I was max betting, which on nickles was 30 credits, or $1.50. My fourth hand or so, I'm dealt an ace and queen of spades and three throwaway cards. Wouldn't you believe it, I drew the 10, king, and ace of spades for a Royal Flush on the bottom hand....for a whopping $200. I was steamed, as I had spent a collective 5 hours at the Vegas Club betting $1.25 a hand chasing a $2400 Royal, and here I bet $1.50 for a $200 payout. I just kept shaking my head at the machine. In reality, though, that $200 made up for money I spent chasing the other Royal, so it wasn't bad. I mean really, who would complain about winning $200? :)
After the Plaza, we got back in the 300 and drove to northern Las Vegas -- to the Rampart, specifically. I feel stupid for this, but I knew I wanted to go to the Rampart, but I couldn't remember why. We did have a 50-coin 4-of-a-kind bonus coupon from the ACG to use there, but I couldn't get a 4-of-a-kind to save my life there. The Rampart also had $.01 Price Is Right slot machines -- I've never seen those less than $.05 before or since. Strangely, the $.01 Plinko had some software glitches. Music wouldn't play when it was supposed to. The wheel "dinged" when I went over (rather than playing the 'losing horns'). Weird.
Rampart Casino - click for more pictures
I neglected to realize that the reason I wanted to go to the Rampart was for Cash King Checkers. I didn't see it, and forgot to really look for it or ask about it. :sigh: The Rampart was also rather hot inside, at least compared to other casinos. We each used a $5 match play coupon at an empty blackjack table. I asked the dealer if he minded if we did a "hit and run" -- he said he didn't mind at all. I threw a $1 tip bet out there on my bet, too. My friend lost his bet, and I pushed. The dealer checked with the floorman -- the coupon remained after the push (I know other casinos give you one crack at it, win, lose, or push). So, I got a second chance with the coupon. Sadly, I also lost my hand. The dealer thanked me for the tip bet, and I thanked him for his time.
We left North Las Vegas and headed towards The Orleans. We stopped on the way at the Gold Coast, as my friend had a $6 TITO voucher from the last visit (expired by date). We asked at the change booth, and after a quick radio call, they were given the go-ahead to cash it, and I decided that I wanted to play some VP. I was headed for a bank of machines near the back of the casino, but then remembered that the bars there have 9/6 JOB, and that there would be better drink service at the bar, so I stopped at the bar I was at, and plunked myself down. Threw $20 into the machine, and started playing. About five or so hands in, dealt the K-J-Q-10 of hearts. Held those four, and without hesitation hit the "Draw" button. Ace of hearts!!! Got my Royal after all! ...although it was only ("only") for $1000 instead of that $2400 I had been chasing. I called my friend, and while I was on the phone with him, I noticed something interesting. The screen was flashing, "Jackpot! $2000". I said, "Wait a second -- holy crap, I'm playing $.50! I won $2000!!!" I have to thank the person ahead of me, whomever that was, because they had changed the multi-denom machine to be $.50 instead of $.25! What a surprise that was!
$2000 Royal - click to enlarge
So, I got my first W2G, and $2000 in cash handed to me. :)
We went over to the Rio shortly afterward. My friend signed up for a slot card and was given a TPiR t-shirt and a Win Finder. I asked how to get a Win Finder without signing up for their slot club (as I already had one), and was told that they were being handed out at Harrah's until 5:00 that day, and they would be at the Rio from noon-5 the next day (Wednesday). The Win Finder "might" start blinking after an hour. If it did, you could turn it in to play Plinko to win up to $100!
We decided that it was as good a time as any, so we headed over to the Orleans to check in for our last two nights in Vegas. Checked in, and then headed straight to Harrah's. We each got a Win Finder there, and I won a TPiR t-shirt when they scanned my card to get the Win Finder! Played a little VP there, left up $10, and wandered around the Harrah's section of the strip. No blinking on any of our Win Finders from either Harrah's or Rio.
The Orleans room pictures - click for more
We each signed up at Casino Royale for their slot club, got our "$50 in free slot play" (we didn't win anything), and then plunked down for some Video Poker. I played Shockwave (I love that game!), and eventually got a single 4-of-a-kind for the $25 bonus coupon from the slot club "fun book" (sheet of coupons). I didn't (sadly) get another 4-of-a-kind within ten hands, so no extra $1000 from the machine. We played the WOF slot, and I did get to spin the wheel, but did not qualify for the $10 bonus coupon (if you spin "40" or higher, you can use the coupon for a $10 bonus). Left a few dollars there, and continued wandering. We went to the Imperial Palace for the first time ever. Saw the "dealertainers", and my friend spun the wheel for a free buffet coupon for his new slot club sign-up. I threw away my t-shirt coupon from the wheel -- I'll spin it again and sign up at a later date, provided I spin something decent. We wound up never using the buffet coupon, either.
I wanted to go to the bank because I didn't care for the idea of carrying my $2000 Royal Flush winnings around. We drove to a (somewhat) nearby branch, and I deposited $1800 of it. I think we went back to The Orleans and hit the pool after that, staying out there until the pool's closing time (8:00 PM). We used an ACG 2-for-1 coupon and ate dinner at the Orleans buffet. Fair. Not really worth the price of admission without a 2-for-1, in my opinion.
Played some more VP and slots at The Orleans (played $.01 Othello slots and completed the bonus round for something like a win of $15 on a $.01 machine), then decided to hit one of the local clubs. Had a decent time, and then around 3:00 AM we headed back to the Strip. I know we ended up at the Monte Carlo that evening, and I made some fair money on a particular "Jackpot Poker" video poker game that has always treated me well. ...and, the Monte has Bacardi Razz (LVC, Monte Carlo, and the Cannery are the only three casinos I know of that carry it, although I'm sure others do). Hit a few 4-of-a-kinds there, only 150 credits each time, though. The machine is so damn loud, too, and it's my fault. My last trip, about three months ago, the machine had zero volume. I asked if a tech could turn it up, and he did -- way too loud. Before he closed it up, I asked him to turn it down a little, which he did, but the end result is that it is still the loudest machine in the row. It was a riot to be generating half the noise of the casino at 4:00 AM. :)
Finally went back to The Orleans. I think we crashed into bed at that point.
Wednesday was our last full day in Vegas. We drove to the Rio for the Win Finders (no winning found us), and Bellagio during the day -- got some great outdoor pictures from there. Took the tram to the Monte Carlo, played a little more there and then walked to New York - New York. We still had our ESPN Zone $20 certificates to redeem. Played a little at NYNY. I love the Family Feud slots, although they're awful tight. We then decided it was dinner time, so off to ESPN Zone. They were still out of the coolers, so he took my address and is sending them to me. We each got our $20 voucher, as well as our free game cards. Dinner was great. We split an appetizer, and each got a different burger. $38 total tab -- had to pay $2 or so in tax (the more I think about that, I think they're ringing up their coupons wrong, but I digress), and tipped eight or nine dollars because our server was really great. It was a great experience -- the food being free made it even better. :) Upstairs, we used the free video game cards and played a few different games, including a round of bowlingo.
We hit the MGM Grand. I got to play "Austin Powers Video Poker" which was a hoot -- it needed more volume, though. We even trammed it over to the Luxor again, but didn't stay long, and made our way back to Bellagio. I figured, "What the heck", and we walked from Excalibur all the way to Bellagio, rather than taking the tram from Monte Carlo over. We stopped in Boardwalk, which was the first time I had ever been there. Nothing too special, but not as creepy as it looks from the outside. I was pumped because there was a technician from IGT setting up a brand new bank of The Price Is Right slot machines -- "Money Game". Unfortunately, the games were not up and running yet, so I didn't get to play. We did find the Family Feud video slot (I knew it existed, but had never played it), and got to see the bonus round, so life was good. Over to Bellagio, saw a fountain show (Luck Be a Lady Tonight), and then picked up the car.
Bellagio fountains at night - click for more pictures
I wanted to use the ACG coupons we had at the Hard Rock for their slot club sign-up, so we went over there at around 11:00pm. Signed up, got the coupon sheet, and played some. I only got up to 7 points after some VP and slot play, so I didn't get a chance to cash in the "bring this back when you get 10 ponts for a gift" coupon. We did each get a free shot glass from the gift shop. I used the LVA $10 matchplay coupon for a hand of "no bust blackjack" (I know it's an awful game, but I was playing one hand, and it was the only $10 table I could find at the time.) I lost. The slot club coupons also had a $10 matchplay, so I found a different blackjack table and sat down to use it. The dealer was in the middle of a handshuffle, which gave the floorperson plenty of time to see my coupon, pick it up, read it, and then grill me about it, asking where I got it, if I was a new slot club sign-up, where my slot club card was, etc. Kinda being an ass about it, if you ask me. I was peeved from the experience. I played one hand with $10 and the coupon, won, and cashed in. As I said, I was peeved about how much I was hassled to use a coupon that THEY issued, and didn't want any further part of playing there. When all was said and done, I was still up $10 there on their matchplay coupons. (Lost $10, won $20.)
We left, and got stuck in traffic (at Midnight! Darn construction EVERYWHERE!). We finally made it to the south valet at Wynn, and left the car there. We went into Wynn, and enjoyed the surroundings again (I was there on opening night). We took pictures of the non-casino areas, and got to see the last water show of the night (from the inside, sadly, as there was nothing open to let us go outside).
I think I broke even at $.25 video poker, and left a few $$ behind at the slots. A great time, though, but it was time to go. Back to The Orleans we went, and did some more gambling there. We ate at the 24-hour Subway inside the hotel (with the 15% off coupon from the hotel funbook), and then I played a bonus VP game while my friend hit the slots. Within 20 minutes I hit the four aces for $200. :) Bed called shortly after that, although I did take a crack at the "Double Down Stud" game which had a $21,000 progressive jackpot for a (essentially) dealt Royal. No such luck, but did do okay on the game.
The next day we checked out, sad that we would be leaving Las Vegas later that afternoon. I had wanted to check out Terrible's, so we did go there for lunch (2-for-1 buffet coupon) and some gambling. I would much rather spend the same money for the Boulder Station buffet. The Terrible's buffet wasn't "terrible", but it wasn't much to write about, either. I was under-impressed with the casino, too.
We were going to head to a south-strip casino to spend our last hour or so before having to head to the airport, but we literally got stuck in traffic for an hour on the back streets of Las Vegas. Construction (of what I don't know because we never saw anyone working) had most of the streets down to 1 lane, which caused backups as far as the eye could see. If we could have gotten to it, taking Las Vegas Blvd. would have been faster moving. The end result was that we had time to gas up the car, but if we went anywhere else we would have had time enough to go inside, and leave ten minutes later.
So, we returned the car a little earlier than planned, shuttled over to the airport, and I threw about $80 into the airport video poker machines. Couldn't hit anything there, either. Finally (three hours later!) our plane left, and we had an awesome view of the south end of the strip (looking to the north) out the right side of the plane.
All in all, I think I'm up about $1500 for the trip, including hotel, meals, car, etc. Another great Vegas trip, and I can't wait to go back!
Labels: Vegas