Grant is Laid Back in Vegas April 5 – 9 (LONG)

[Grant]

Laid Back Vegas April 5 – 9

Day One

Flight was a later flight out of Orlando, leaving around 4pm. When I booked online we had a limited selection, and I was curious why this flight seemed so long. I booked via Southwest and I figured it had a stop but it didn’t seem to be listed. Wow was I wrong. The plane stopped in San Antonio, El Paso, Albuquerque, and then Las Vegas!! I couldn’t believe it, we never got off the plane but it still took forever. We now realize to book in advance so you aren’t stuck with Southwest or you can get on one of their very few direct flights. Nothing exciting happens on flight.

Our training seminar was from Wednesday till Friday, but we mainly had to be there for our presentation on Thursday. We decide we will take it easy this trip.

Arrive in Vegas and bags take a while. We found out this week/weekend was a huge convention weekend. Airport was packed, long cab lines, etc.. We are starving at this point and just want to get to the hotel. Decide on a shuttle because there isn’t a line, of course when we get on the shuttle we end up waiting 15-20 minutes for more passengers. Once we finally leaver, there is about 4 stops before ours. Can we catch a break??

Arrive at Circus Circus, I haven’t stayed here before but I haven’t heard good things. Main towers are sold out, so we are placed in the manor rooms. Now, I am not one who cares about the room, but this was a far walk. Especially because we wanted a non-smoking room. (I think the first two Manor towers are smoking, and the last couple are non). Dump off our bags in the room and head over to the café. They promote their prime rib and late night breakfast specials all over the hotel. It was now almost midnight Vegas time so we opt for the breakfast and some appetizers. Of course there was a line to get in, but service and food was good. I hadn’t eaten anything since leaving Orlando, so moldy bread would have tasted great.

After dinner or whatever you want to call it, my brother decides to call it at night. I of course have to gamble at least for an hour or so. I was in the mood for poker so head over to the poker room. They were only spreading 3-6, which wasn’t bad. I grinded it out for a little and ended up $70 or so. 3-6 is a lot better than 2-4 but you will get a lot of people staying in with anything. At this time there were a few drinkers at my table so if you are patient and push the pots with good hands you can come out a winner. I lost a big pot when I had a king high flush to his ace flush, I had a feeling he had it, but there was also a straight on the board that I was hoping he caught. That pot cost me almost $50, so I could have been up more.

I played almost two hours and it was about 2am, I had to be up early so decided to call it night. Walking back to the room, I take a quick peek at the roulette table. Decide, to throw a twenty away and finish up $50. Well of course I hit the 5 with two chips, then the 12, then burn a few chips away and cash out $120. Nice little $100 win for a 5-minute stop. Someone needs to note this, I actually left the table without blowing away all my winnings, and maybe it was because I wasn’t drinking.

Day two:

Up about 8am, and was surprisingly not tired at all. Quick shower, iron, and tying my tie and we head to the Sahara. The meeting was at the Sahara, which was not a bad walk. The weather was beautiful on Thursday, not too hot with a nice breeze. Couple meetings in the morning and during break times, started to lose my winnings on random trips to the roulette table. Think I lost $80 to $100 or so. After our presentation I head back to the Circus Circus to change for the evening session. I decide to get in a least an hour at the poker room. Couldn’t catch any cards and the table had a lot of “rocks” so when I had cards it was hard to bring in a pot. Lose about $20 in that session and head to the room to change. Back to the Sahara for the evening session. After that session everyone from the conference pretty much headed to the casino. My brother wasn’t feeling well and was tired, so he headed back to the room. (Is he crazy, two nights in Vegas and sleeping the whole time). Most of the guys played blackjack but I had to get back on the roulette wheel. Lose quickly on the roulette wheel by the front and then head over to the wheel by the bar. Here is where luck would change. I went on an almost 2 hour grind session, with consistent hits. Turned some of my losses into a + $200 win, at some points it was just me and the dealer playing and he was cool about letting me walk around, talk to my buddies at the blackjack table, etc.. When there is only one player, your money can go sooo fast. I was drinking beer at this point and starting to feel pretty good, I started to leak away winnings and was feeling the urge to play poker. I cash out and walk back to the CC.

The CC poker room was pretty crowded at this point; I believe it was almost 11 pm or midnight at this point. I buy in for $80 and played pretty sloppy. I had a couple tough beats but also overplayed quite a few hands. Maybe it was the beer, maybe I was just tired, not really sure. Lose the $80 and decide it is time for Pai Gow.

As you remember in my last report, I am now a Pai Gow maniac, and I hadn’t played any Pai Gow this trip. The CC Pai Gow tables do not even have the automatic shuffler. It slows the game down even more. Cocktail bar was very near the tables and service was fast. This is the place to play if you want a drinking game! I might have ended up a little but it was starting to get around 2 am. Try to repeat the roulette session from last night, but burn through $40 in a blink of an eye. For some reason, I got the urge to visit Slots a Fun, it was late but I wanted to see what characters were hanging around. It was a little cleaner this time, and I basically grabbed a Heineken at the bar and played some .25 BJ. It wasn’t long till a guy down the bar is getting thrown out and trying to pick a fight with the bartender, gotta love Slots a Fun. Finish my beer, and decide it is bedtime. Make my 2-mile walk (felt like it) back to the Manor. Quick shower and sleeping by 3 am.

Not really sure if I was up or down after Thursday, so we will say about even.

Day 3

Up at 9am, and now feeling a little tired. Shower, iron, dressed, and head over to the conference. Weather was nice in Vegas this trip, cool at night and warm in the day. Conference is pretty much a half day (3pm) and goes by pretty quick. I didn’t do any gambling during the day today because during breaks we had small meetings, etc..

After the conference, my brother is feeling a lot better and we decide to have a nice roulette session before heading back the CC. We both play opposite sections of the wheel, but for some reason we were both hitting. The dealer would hit his area, my area, his area, and one dealer was really good at keeping it one area. We both end up over $100 and when there is a dealer change we decide to take or winnings and leave. Heading back to the CC, we decide to hit the poker room. I wanted to clock some more time for the poker room rate (more on that later). We both buy in for about $80, my brother gets a nice run of cards and builds up his stack very nice. I on the other hand, got terrible cards (mainly great starting hands, but not developing) and had almost lost my buy-in. I stay patient and start getting some great cards. Trips twice in a row to beat two players with two pair each time, and had a higher flush a couple hands later. It is getting past dinnertime, so we cash out. I was up about $80 and my brother cashes out up around $10, he really started to donkey call his chips away.

Head to the room, and put a hundred of my winnings away to pay for the room on Sat. The company was only covering our room for Wed., Thurs., and Fri. I had to add an additional night at $169.00 for Sat., yeah can’t believe they charge that for a Manor room. We barely got that room because they were so full. We quickly change and head to the Mexican/Italian restaurant in the CC. I forgot the name but it was quick and decent quality. While we were eating we decide to hit mid-strip. Walk to the Sahara and use our monorail passes from last time. Take the monorail to Bally’s and walk across the street to the Westin. I hadn’t been to the Westin but wanted to check out the .25 roulette and see what the casino was like. There wasn’t any quarter roulette at the time, this is a promotion they have called “happy hour games” for limited time during the day, I think 4 – 7 pm, they have .25 roulette, $3 blackjack, and maybe $3 craps. The casino was small, but clean, and I kind of liked the place. We decide to kill sometime and play some 100-play penny video poker. Fun game, got a couple 4 of a kinds, but nothing too crazy. My brother did get his first royal ever. We end down a little. Drink service was slow, but I would visit again.

Next stop is Barbary Coast, my favorite place to play Pai Gow. Of course it is Friday night on a crowded Vegas weekend, so it was packed! I waited for almost 45 minutes to get a seat at a Pai Gow table, but that didn’t happen. Play a little roulette and place a bet on the Zab Judah versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. boxing match. Decide to leave Barbary and try to find Pai Gow at the IP. IP is also packed, checked out the new location of the poker room. I think the move was smart, the room seemed a lot more crowded than it would be upstairs. Pai Gow is full and we keep walking. Head over to Harrah’s and almost stop in the Carnival Court, but pass that up. Wow has that place grown in popularity the last couple years. Quick walk through Harrah’s and into the Casino Royale. We grab a seat the roulette table, and begin on of the biggest up and down streaks of my gambling career. I bought in for like $150, and would be up as high as $450, and then down to $15. We were both drinking heavily and the crowd was great, a lot of younger people just drinking and having a good time. Almost at about 6 am, I was out. Lost it all. I borrow a $5 from my brother and some how turn that into $85, of course lose all that, and decide to get out of there. It is almost 7:30 am at this point. My brother is hammered, I am still holding strong, but starting to fall out. We decide on Denny’s next door and food comes fast. We are exhausted after our meal and catch a cab at the Venetian to our room. Flop in bed, and call it a night. One thing that annoyed me about near the Royale, was that I was offered coke (not the soda) and pain pills 3 different times by some street rats (that is what I call them). It happens to me downtown but was surprised on the strip.. I hope I don’t look like a cokehead.

Day 4

Sleep into till about 1 pm or so. We knew we had to play a couple more hours of poker to reach the poker room rate. It is 5 hours of play for every 1 night reduced. We were only trying to get one night rate, and I had already played around 5 hours, but we wanted to be safe. We decided to play poker after we did some walking. My brother hasn’t been to Bellagio in a while so we decide to head there. Monorail would have been an inconvenience, so we decide to try to the Deuce Bus. I was hot that day and we wanted some AC. The bus was jam-packed; I couldn’t believe the lady kept trying to get more people on. It was a little faster than walking, but not by much.

Walk through Caesars, check out the new poker room, walk through the Bellagio. There was a poker tournament so their room was packed. Visit the conservatory, very nice setup. Take a couple pictures and watched a fountain show.

We decide to play some Pai Gow at the Barbary. Get a seat very easily but cards are running bad, was getting hands that wouldn’t win, but would most of the time push. Stay even for a while, and cocktail service was amazing. Enjoying my drinks and finish down a little after a pretty long session.

Walk to the Venetian to watch the boxing match. Get the Venetian Sports book and I ask what TV the fight will be on, he says because it is PPV, they can’t show it. He says try Caesars or the Wynn. I voted on the Wynn, but my brother wanted Caesars so after the fight we would be closer to mid-strip. Almost sprint to Caesars because the fight is about to start. When we get there, of course they aren’t showing it either. Pissed off, we walk back to the Barbary. We almost walked to Ellis Island for the steak special, but decided to wait a little to eat.

Start drinking more and getting destroyed in Pai Gow. I swear I have never seen so many bad hands. Decide to play some roulette while waiting on my brother to finish in craps. Win back a little, but still down for the day. I am starving and some how we decide on Denny’s again. Service was fast and food was good. It is almost 11 pm, and decide to head back to CC to see what to do the rest of the night.

Back in CC, I feel like some poker, at this time I had stopped drinking and felt I could concentrate. My brother on the other hand was hammered and quickly loses his buy-in. He heads to the craps table, while I play poker. I put almost another 2 hours in, but can’t get any cards. I didn’t see a face card for almost 35 minutes at one point, I am not joking. I am up a little when I look down and see pocket aces. I raise and get a bunch of callers. Too make a long hand short, a lady gets her third jack on the river and cracks my aces. I am down some now, so I cash out and try to find my bro.

It is almost 1am, and I am pretty tired. I know it was the last night, but I didn’t feel like going crazy. I head to the room and he continues to drink and gamble, he gets back in around 6 am.

We get up about 9:30 am, and I head to the poker room to find out about the rate. I get the $89 rate, which was a lot better than $169. It was a quick process.

We cabbed it to the airport, security was quick, and flight was uneventful. Good trip, and I have some pics I will post later.

I ended up down a couple hundred, nothing crazy.

[Grant]

Sorry if that was too long guys and gals...

Also if the sentences were jumbled, I can really go on strange rants when I am writing a trip report.

I need to read a guide "How to write a Trip Report"...

[misterKeno]

Grant your TR was just fine... dont worry.

I think the reason my TR's sound dandy is on account of i write them within 24 hours of returning home.... and my alcohol level is juuuuuust a bit lower.

But i enjoyed yours.. it was a good read. Sounds like Denny's offered you some solid food. I dont think ive ate @ a Denny's in 3 years.

Was the WOF @ the BC basically insane ?? LOL, i know you didnt mention it but i am curious.

Well done on the roulette sessions.... although it's a rough thing knowing when to walk & when to keep playing.

Ive heard good & bad things about the 'manor' rooms @ CC. Even such words as "we were booked into a manor room, but i gotta tell you -- you really dont want to walk around ANY part of the room without your shoes on". Enough said.

I think you got a lot done this trip my friend. Certainly more than i did in my 2 niter.

mK

[Grant]

mK,

Yeah, I need to write them a little quicker when things are fresh. I feel like I could have added twice as much, but I decided to leave a lot out. Plus sometimes I feel like I am ranting away, so I try to be less detailed.

You know what is funny about Dennys, I hadn't had in about 2 years either, then I had it twice in Vegas. And last weekend, I was in Tampa, and had it twice. You know what else is funny, I ordered the same thing both times in Vegas, and then the same things both times in Tampa.

The WOF at the BC is insane, looks like a rollar coaster.

Our Manor was fine, just like a standard hotel room. Clean, good AC, clean shower, and nice dark curtains. :wink:

[misterKeno]

cant beat that !

[doctor_al]

Sounds like it was an ok to good run at the poker tables for you. My last trip out I played a lot of 2-4, but played neither patient nor smart enough, and frequently played down to the felt. :roll: Sounds like you did a better job at it. Might play more 7 stud next time, if I can find it.

[misterKeno]

Poker is a rough game.... i know for myself if i begin to get bored (which usually means getting crummy cards), i'll begin to bet on 3-9 unsuited just so i can see a flop or even 4th street. It gets expensive, but at least i dont fall asleep.

I know what it's like, grant, to not see a face card for that amount of time.

Doc Al ... its harder & harder to find 7-c-stud these days. I get the USUAL ANSWER from each poker room manager "not playing right now, but if i can get five players -- there's a chance we can open a game of stud".

mK

[GREGRIO]

Thanks for the read...It's my early Friday morning, so I just checked
it out...so much for weekend TR entertainment. These buisness trips
seem to be working out pretty cool for you...I don't remember you
getting to go as often on your own.

Gaming sounded OK...no great losses is always a good thing and
you didn't get beat up, mugged or robbed which seems to be the
latest 'breaking news/happening thing' in Vegas the last few weeks...

I'm glad your brother started feeling better...it's always more fun
when you've got someone ridin' shotgun as you hit the casinos...
...you guys sure WALK alot, awwww youth and playin' til the wee hours!

"I actually left the tabe without blowing away all my winnings"
"maybe it was because I wasn't drinking"
LOL...you're catchin' on...not terribly consistant, but you're catchin' on

"We knew we had to play a couple more hours of poker to reach the poker room rate."
"I get the $89 rate, which was a lot better than $169. It was a quick process."
Hmmm....I always question the logic of playin' for comps.
The 80 bucks you saved, (split 2 ways) weighed against what you
lost to save the eighty dollars, just seems goofy to me. Caugh up the
40 bucks each, play when you want, and keep the winnings for yourselves
rather than loose it to the house to save $80.00...whatever, you were
having fun and that's what counts.

BARBARY WOF is pretty cool huh...I didn't sit and play, but one of these
trips I'd like to try it. I wasn't real close as I was watching, and don't fully
understand how you hit a 'SPIN'...wait for others to do the same, before
it actually spins............looks cool though!

PLEASE POST YOU PICS..............you've mentions it in the past, but I've
never seen them...try to make it happen this trip, PICS ARE VERY COOL!
YOU DID GOOD!, got the TR up when you said you would, lots of fun
reading........THANKS!

P.S. What was the convention about?...what's your gig these days, what
were they showing you/or you them?

[FL Mary]

You are lucky that you get business trips to Las Vegas. I would love that, except that I would get very little sleep and would be a zombie during meetings! Sorry you had to endure all the stops to get there. Sounds like you got a lot of gambling in even with the conference. Thanks for the report. I go in two week! :-D I look forward to seeing your pictures.

[Grant]

al,

Played 2-4 a lot last trip, I will most likely not play it again. It is fun, but it is tough because everyone stays in. 3-6 is good, and 4-8 is probably perfect for me.

mK,

Yeah in the low limit games, you have to lay down A LOT of hands.

Greg,

Yeah, these business trips have added a couple more trips, can't complain.

Gaming was OK, just got sloppy at times.

I am a huge advocate of not playing for comps. I was planning on playing poker almost 3 hours a day, but time restrictions put a damper on that. I feel I can be quite successful in low limit hold em, so it was a problem playing a couple extra hours. I actually wanted to force myself to play so I would stay away from the roulette table. The room rate was just an added bonus.

Yes, WOF is pretty cool. I did not play it, but people seemed mesmorized (sp?) when they saw it. I am sure it will be popping up at more casinos.

It was a convention, more of a training seminar. It was for Reverse Mortgages through 1st Mariner Mortgage. We do their website, loan officer pages, streaming of audio shows, etc..