f13.net forums - Vegas, Baby!

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June 11, 2024, 09:35:14 AM

we're back, baby

I live in Las Vegas, I don't drink nor do I gamble, so I can make no recommendations for those things.

Check out the House of Blues website for shows during your trip if you are into music. (http://www.hob.com/)

If you are a gamer, right next to the MGM Grand (which is worth visiting for the Lion Habitat (http://www.mgmgrand.com/pages/index_flash.asp)) is Gameworks (http://www.gameworks.com/) which is basically a big arcade. Fun place to hang out and the M&M Store (http://shop.mms.com/service/lasvegas.asp?UID=) and the Coca-Cola Store (http://www.nextexit.com/dap/woc/wocdemo2.html) are right near it.

Also, at night, if you walk the Strip, you will have a chance to see the Mirage Volcano (www.themirage.com) and the light show outside the Bellagio (www.bellagiolasvegas.com). Also, if you are going with your sweetheart, stop by the Venetian (www.venetian.com) and ride the gondolas. The gondoleers are roleplayers of the best kind, they speak with an accent, speak italian, dress up and boy, can they sing!

Finally, if you are interested in roller coasters and such, Circus-Circus has the Adventure Dome (www.adventuredome.com) behind it. Circus-Circus (www.circuscircus.com/index2.php) also does free circus type acts (high wire, trapeze, and such) nearly every night.

All in all, have fun, that's what Vegas is all about and don't forget to tip your servers. Usually, they are younger folks and they aren't making a whole lot of money.

One last thing, about half an hour out of town on the way to California is a casino called Buffalo Bill's (http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/pages/bb_home.asp). They have a pretty damn big outdoor roller coaster that I rode when my gf's sister was in town. It was pretty fun, but might be a bit of a drive.

I'm staying at Boulder Station, which is maybe 5 miles from the Strip. Nice enough rooms, though their casino is filled with smoke. Nice thing about this place is that it has a few restaurants inside (buffet, pasta place, steak place, plus fastfood chinese, burger king, TCBY, and starbucks). Not sure how much cab ride to the strip would cost, but they do have a bus that runs between their "station" casinos and one of those might be on the Strip or near it (never looked myself).

But let me tell you, 2 weeks in Vegas is waaayyy too long. I want to go home! cry

Quote from: DevilsAdvocate on August 31, 2005, 11:02:34 PM

One last thing, about half an hour out of town on the way to California is a casino called Buffalo Bill's (http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/pages/bb_home.asp). They have a pretty damn big outdoor roller coaster that I rode when my gf's sister was in town. It was pretty fun, but might be a bit of a drive.

Funny you should mention this. I really dig rollercoasters and was checking this out - apparently it's the tallest coaster in the world (or used to be). I'm so going to check it out. What about those on top of the tower in the city proper - good or just gimmicky by being on top of such a tall building?

The coaster at New York New York was not worth the ten dollars. It could have been decent but they had let it go for too long without replacing the wheels. A rickety wooden coaster is charming, a rickety steel coaster is uncomfortable.

I can find plenty of ways to make myself vomit in Vegas without thrill rides. Buffets, free drinks, Elvis impersonators...

Quote from: WayAbvPar on September 01, 2005, 12:38:27 PM

I can find plenty of ways to make myself vomit in Vegas without thrill rides. Buffets, free drinks, Elvis impersonators...

I don't like buffets and I don't like Elvis...
Free drinks - I'll be there... but I thought they were reserved for people that lose a lot of money. Or people the casinos would like to lose a lot of money.
I like thrill rides. 2 min 45 seconds I think I can find in my schedule between the free drinks and strippers.

What do you mean, you don't like Elvis? Next you'll say you don't like booze or donuts.

And buffets at Vegas - in the good hotels - are a whole different story. I highly recomend the Bellagio buffet. Its about $35, but I thought it was well worth it.

I've heard good things about Rio's seafood buffet, but I've never been.

Can you all please get back to Strazos's coming out party.

Generally, the drinks are free for gamblers, though tipping is customary.

Quote from: Furiously on September 01, 2005, 02:25:54 PM

Can you all please get back to Strazos's coming out party.

No. Any more requests for that shit will meet with a swift time-out.

That was supposed to be green.

Quote from: Viin on September 01, 2005, 12:26:32 AM

You are right down the street from my house. We go to Boulder Station for two reasons: the buffet and the movie theater. If their theater isn't showing what we want to see, it's guaranteed that Sam's Town, just a short drive away, is showing it in their theater.

Sam's Town is kinda nice to go to, if you get the chance. They have an indoor waterfall and atrium that I am always drawn to every time I go in there. Kinda fun to get ice cream at Calamity Jane's and then go eat it in the atrium.

I believe the Palace Station is the one closest to the Strip. I'm not 100% certain, but I think the Barabary Coast may be a Station casino as well.

If you are gambling, I have hard that the Station Player's Club is decent. Particularly since it is applicable in all of their casinos.

Quote from: DevilsAdvocate on September 02, 2005, 07:14:15 PM

..
Sam's Town is kinda nice to go to, if you get the chance. They have an indoor waterfall and atrium that I am always drawn to every time I go in there. Kinda fun to get ice cream at Calamity Jane's and then go eat it in the atrium.

I believe the Palace Station is the one closest to the Strip. I'm not 100% certain, but I think the Barabary Coast may be a Station casino as well.

If you are gambling, I have hard that the Station Player's Club is decent. Particularly since it is applicable in all of their casinos.

I just got home yesterday morning, so this comes a bit late for me. But I'll remember it for next time! I could see Sam's Town from my hotel room but didn't get a chance to head that way.

I did see The Transporter 2 on Friday at the theatre, which is nice to have in the same place. Even at $9.50 a pop, seeing a movie is a *much* cheaper way to spend 2 hours.

And don't tip those craps dealers, they took all my money!

That's what happens when you go with the big-pay sucker bets. tongue

Just a reminder- I will be wheels down in Vegas in about 25 hours. WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who wants to stop in and buy me a drink, feel free :-D

Apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors- pretty much stream of consciousness here. Comments welcomed.

Friday Sept 16th-
8 am flight from SeaTac (after a sleepless night)- get to Vegas about 10:15. Collected luggage, then caught the shuttle to Bellagio. Took about 45 minutes to get there, but I enjoyed the ride; I haven’t been to LV since 1992, so there was a ton of new stuff for me to see. Got checked in at Bellagio (thank GOD our room was ready), and headed upstairs for a quick nap. Met up with my buddy and his wife, and we headed to Monte Carlo for some beer and food at the brewpub there. Beer was decent, Wild Mushroom and Three cheese pizza was incredible.

Friends had to take off for dinner and ‘O’, so my wife and I wandered past NY NY to Excalibur. Played some blackjack (up about $30), then wandered over to the Tropicana (‘won’ a sweatshirt playing their rigged $20 slot game, but it was fun) and MGM (played some more slots). Got back to Bellagio around 9 and relaxed in our room for awhile waiting for my buddy to get out of O.

Buddy calls about 12:30 am, and we head down to the poker room for my first Vegas poker experience. We get on the list for $4/$8 and loiter around the entrance. A very small Asian man wearing headphones walked past me to have a cigarette, and I realized it was Chau Giang! I then peered into the back room, and realized that Jen Harman and Barry Greenstein were also onhand playing. Starstruck!

Got into the $4/$8 game. While I was waiting for my blind in the 9 seat, a drunk guy at the other end of the table was doing his best maniac impression and completely pissing off the guy next to me. I soon realized that most of the maniacal behavior was an act, and that this guy (while drunk) knew what he was doing. Guy next to me busts and leaves in a huff, and I the dealer if I can have the seat. “Sure- you can’t play any worse than that guy did!”. Heh. I drag a couple of pots, have some fun, and end up ahead $79 before I am too tired to continue. Head upstairs for some sleep.

Sat. Sept. 17th.
Get out of bed and get ready- meet our friends and head over to Paris for the buffet
Stand in line for about 45 minutes, but it ends up being worth it. Wow- very nice spread from Paris. I particularly enjoyed the Eggs Benedict (I am a sucker for hollandaise). Stuffed, we wander through Paris and work our way up the Strip on foot, stopping every now and then for a quick $slot or blackjack hit and a cocktail or two. We find an empty $5 BJ table at Imperial Palace, so we all sit down to try our lucky. Buddy his first base, his wife, then me, then my wife. I clean up, while everyone else loses. My wife swears she will never sit to my left at a blackjack table again (I stole about 10 cards that would have given her winners! Heh)- See Pete Rose signing autographs in the Forum shops, and am almost killed by the irony of seeing him in a gambling town =) Eventually head back to Bellagio for a some downtime with plans to head downtown later.- Up about $40.

Friends have rented a car, so they pick up my wife and I and we head to Binion’s. Downtown was a freakin’ ZOO- there was some sort of biker gathering going on. Not really my crowd…Wander into Binion’s so my buddy and I can see the Wall of Champions. Finally find it, and the brush talks us into playing some $2/$4 while our wives and his MIL watch the Fremont Experience outside. I drag the first 2 pots, then go ice cold. End up down $38, but up cocktails, so it wasn’t a bad trade. Forget to take a pic of the Wall of Champions (the whole reason I went there in the first place). ARRGGH.

Head back to Bellagio (with a quick detour for In N Out….woohoo!). Play a couple of slots, then head to bed- early day tomorrow for football!

Sunday Sept. 18th-
Get up at 8 (ugh), shower, then head over to my buddy’s room. He has his laptop set up with Internet access, so I check my fantasy lineups, do some quick online banking, and then we head to Caesar’s (the book we had decided on in our scouting trip the day before). Get there right around 9, and the whole damned place is full already. Bugger. End up sitting in the Keno area on the edge of the book; security forces us to play Keno while we study the morning game lines. I end up taking Baltimore (ugh), Minnesota (double ugh) and Jacksonville (who thankfully cover the generous +9 they were given, even though they lose). Buddy had Indy and Minnesota, so he is 0-2.

Wives stop by to see us right before the afternoon games start. They take one look at how tipsy we are already and my wife exclaims “Have you guys EATEN ANYTHING?? I tell her that I had an olive in my first Bloody Mary =) She rolls her eyes, and her and buddy’s wife head off to get us some food before we drink ourselves dead. We bet the afternoon games, have some more cocktails and sit back. I take the Chargers (who end up pushing), and put $55 on Seattle (my home town boys). The Seahawks run out to a 21-0 lead at halftime, and I call my dad to wish him a happy B-day and chirp about the money I will have after the game. Then the dreaded Seattle collapse starts, and I have to keep pounding drinks to keep from slitting my wrists. Finally they hold off Atlanta, and I cash out up $65 for the games. Buddy and his wife are flying out Sunday evening, so we bid them goodbye and head out.”

Wife encourages me to try a few spins at a $1 Megabucks machine on the way out of the book, so I comply. 2nd spin, I hit for $150, so I cash out the rest and head on my merry way. So begins a night of slot heaven- I couldn’t freakin’ lose. I hit a couple of small wins (doubling up my original $20 investment) playing Jackpot Party at Treasure Island and Wynn, and empty the hopper at a Jackpot Party machine at the Venetian (paid out 480-odd quarters. Wandered the Strip in a drunken haze the rest of the night, pausing long enough to win $75 at a Treasure Island BJ table playing like a donkey (and totally pissing my wife off, since she can’t seem to win ANYTHING this trip). Head back to Bellagio dead tired and footsore, but up for the day. Is there anything better?

Monday Sept. 19th
Get out of bed around 10, shower, and head downstairs to catch the Bellagio buffet (no line- gotta love weekdays!). Chow down some decent grub, then decide to play some more poker while the wife goes shopping. I immediate seating at a rocky $4/$8 table and play for a couple of hours. Someone asks about tournaments, and there is mention of a Mandalay Bay tourney starting at 6pm. I call my wife and see if she wants to meet me down there (I haven’t seen MB yet). She agrees, so I cash out at Bellagio up $7 (big score) and make my way down to Mandalay Bay.
I find the poker room about 4:45 PM and get signed up for the tournament (which is limited to 30 players…doh! I doubt I would have come if I had known how small it is). Get seated in a $4/$8 game and am instantly confused by the blind structure- the blinds are $1 and $2, and there is also a half-kill going. I eventually figure it out, get comfortable, and take down a few pots. Cash out up $70 in time to play the tourney.

Slowly accumulate chips with some tight aggressive play in the tournament (which ends up with only 25 players). I get the honor of busting the first player out, and then cruise to the final table about 2nd or 3rd in chips. We get down to 6 handed (it pays 5), and then everything stalls. Every time a short stack gets all in, they win the pot. We play this way for a good 30 minutes. I take advantage of bubble time to steal a ton of blinds, so my stack is headed north (although I get caught stealing once with 97s and double the bb up, but such is life). Make it down to heads up with a semi-hot blonde who has a 3-1 chip lead on me. She is still playing it close to the vest, so I steal most pots with a preflop raise. We end up about even in chips, when I shove with J9o in the small blind. She thinks about it for a bit and finally calls, turning over J9s! We end up chopping the pot.

After some back and forth, I can’t get her to commit any chips (she has a slight chip leade at this point). I get AJs and decide to get cute and limp from the button. She checks, and we see a flop-884 (no diamonds for me). She checks, and I bet $1900 (min is $1600). I am trying to represent a big hand trying to get paid off with a little bet. She thinks and thinks, and finally shoves for about $4000 more. Figuring I am more or less committed, I call. She turns over Q4, I get no help and take 2nd place and $300.

After the tourney, wife and I hit Shark Reef, which was about as cool as I could have hoped (I am a big zoo.aquarium nerd). Totally worth the time and money (and the freakin ½ mile walk from the casino…it is buried WAY in the back of the place!). We head back to Bellagio after a brief stop at Luxor (drop $40 in slots there). Grab a late night bite at Noodles (LOVED it) see Robert Willliamson III chilling in the Baccarat Bar, and then head to bed about 1:30 am .

Tuesday Sept. 20th-
Get up about 10, get packed and go check out. Leave our bags with the bell station. Wife goes shopping, I go to the Bellagio poker room. Have to wait about 30 minutes for a new game to start, so turn $20 into $100 playing video poker right outside the room. Get called for the new game, and proceed to see exactly dick for cards for 2 straight hours. Get AK once, pot gets capped 5 ways preflop. Had a wheel draw busted, so fold the river when a 2nd 4 hits the board. Winner tables quad 4s, then proceeds to make quad As then very next hand with A8s on a AAA75 board (this guy hit everything he looked at the first 2 hours). I buy another rack of blue and hope my luck improves.

I finally break my session cherry about 2.5 hours in when I make a continuation bet after raising preflop with AJs. Both opponents muck ,and I take down a tiny pot. Yay! Best hand of the day- I have 53o in the big blind, and actually get to take a flop with 5 others. Flop is 355. Hey, that might work for me! SB checks, I check, luckbox quad guy checks,1 bet, 2 folds. SB calls, I call, and luckbox raises. Original raiser calls, SB folds, and I call. Turn is a T. I check., luckbox bets, 7 seat folds. I raise, luckbox re-raises, and I raise again. He calls instead of capping, and we see go to the river. A 6 comes off. I bet out. Luckbox says “do you have a straight?” and calls. I table my hand and take down a nice pot- SB says “VERY nicely played”. After that, I go ice cold again. I finally cash out down $147 for the day (just ugly).

Wife comes back ,and we have about an hour to kill before we have to hit the airport. I haven’t played craps the whole trip (haven’t played in like 12 years and can barely remember how it works), so we bite the bullet and I snuggle into a $10 table (which is a little high for my limited bankroll, but I am up for the trip, so what the hell). Bounce up and down for a few shooters, and finally get my chance to throw the dice. Hit 3 points and a couple of hardways, which makes me pretty popular at the table. Eventually crap out, play through one more shoot, and leave the table up $70, This gambling is easy!

Finally head to the airport and find out our flight has changed to be an hour earlier. Luckily we were at the airport early, so this is good news for us. Of course, the flight gets delayed and eventually takes off at almost exactly the same time as originally scheduled. Bumpy flight home, but nice to sleep in my own bed and see my poor cat (who assumed we had left him for good!).

Had a GREAT time, and can’t wait to go back (winning about $600 didn’t hurt). Now that I have seen almost everything (missed the Mirage and Aladdin this trip), I can concentrate on playing more poker and hitting some more tournaments next time down. Can’t wait!

Only thing that confused me (besides all the Poker jargon) was the changing of your flight to be Earlier....I wasn't aware that ever happened.

They actually changed the flight- it had a new number and everything. I was probably notified about it at some point, but never saw it. As for the poker jargon, I originally posted the trip report on a poker site, so I emphasized that part of it.

I did forget to mention that unbelievable quantity and quality of cleavage in Vegas. It is truly a magical place.

Good trip report. Next time I will try to make it down so we can tear up the poker rooms together. :mrgreen:

Quote

After some back and forth, I can’t get her to commit any chips (she has a slight chip leade at this point). I get AJs and decide to get cute and limp from the button. She checks, and we see a flop-884 (no diamonds for me). She checks, and I bet $1900 (min is $1600). I am trying to represent a big hand trying to get paid off with a little bet. She thinks and thinks, and finally shoves for about $4000 more. Figuring I am more or less committed, I call. She turns over Q4, I get no help and take 2nd place and $300.

This struck me as funny. The last day I spent in Vegas in March, playing no limit, I had pocket QQ and the flop came up 884. Hit a Q on the turn and then had two people go all-in in front of me. My boat killed three 8s and pocket aces. Walked away up $380.

Must be a lucky flop.

Quote from: Abagadro on September 22, 2005, 09:58:30 PM

Good trip report. Next time I will try to make it down so we can tear up the poker rooms together. :mrgreen:

Yeah, that isn't too far for you to go, is it? I will be down again sometime in the first half of 2006 almost for certain- gonna have a bachelor party to attend.

Necro!

I am headed back to Vegas September 6th through the 10th, staying at the Wynn (we got a mailer from them that had a FANTASTIC deal- about $600 for 4 nights, which is less than 1/2 price!). Thinking about catching a show this time through, but Christ they are spendy. Do you know how much gambling I could do with $300? If we do it, will probably catch Love or O, or maybe Ka.

Love to hook up with any and all who happen to be in town around then. I may even open my wallet for a beer or twenty :-D

Bastard! I was just there two weeks ago! Although i could probably be persuaded to go down again...if the wife approves rolleyes

Hmmm...remembering the donkeys at the 1/2 NL table at the Luxor at 1am is making me salivate....

Quote

Hmmm...remembering the donkeys at the 1/2 NL table at the Luxor at 1am is making me salivate....

See? That is how you pay for your trip! Unless you go on a serious cold streak or play like an asshole, it is pretty hard to lose substantial money playing poker with Vegas tourists.

Donkeys? Are you sure you're not confusing Nevada with Mexico?

http://www.skymaniafuncenters.com/

Dodgeball on trampolines. 'Nuff said.

Quote from: Abagadro on July 04, 2007, 02:16:34 PM

Link to some deals on various Cirque tickets

Ab, you are the MAN!! Just bought 2 for Love (September 6th, 7pm). Next trick is to get you and the missus to come hang out for a night or two for some poker and drinking. First few are on me for the link! :-D

No prob. It was very serendipitous that I saw that posting. I was worried they would be all gone by the time you saw it. Glad you managed to snag a couple.

If I can swing it I will try to make it down, but being so new to the job my ability to take off is highly limited.

Just a reminder- anyone that can get to Vegas next weekend (Th through M) has the rare opportunity to witness me in my native environment. Watch as it gambles, drinks, eats, and stumbles around incoherently. See if it can talk a host into comping it some cool shit. Make it buy you a drink!

If I wasn't neck deep in the hell of my comp exam prep I'd come down there. Have a good time and bluff-raise a busted flop with 87s for me.

I will be in the air in just over 24 hours. Woohoo!