It's been a couple of days since I posted an entry, so there are a few things to catch up on.
Saturday night Helen and I went to see "The Nutcracker," a production by the Las Vegas Ballet. It was performed at Paris Hotel and Casino and I enjoyed the show quite a bit. I'd give it a solid B, but I think I liked it more than Helen did. She's a real Nutcracker fan and noted that this performance varied from the more traditional version in a few ways. I didn't really notice the difference, but she did.
One interesting note, the performance was sponsored by poker pro Phil Ivey and his wife. We looked through the audience to see if Phil was there, but didn't spot him anywhere.
Also, on the way out of the theater, as we were getting Helen into her wheelchair, I managed to gouge a chunk of flesh out of my right-hand pinkie finger. I jammed it on some metal on the wheelchair and it was bleeding pretty good, so we stopped at a restroom as we left. I drove home with my right hand swathed in a couple of tissues. At the apt. we wrapped a bandaid on it and it was sore, but usable.
Also Saturday, I talked with Gordon about our Dad's situation. He'll be moving into an adult care center called Forest View, about 10 minutes from Bev's house in Lincoln Park. Seems like a smooth transition from Gordon's place in Fla to the new facility and Dad seems fine with the move. That's a big worry off my mind. Putting Dad in a facility was one of those decisions we just had to deal with.
On Sunday, we went to church early, then I headed over to the Suncoast to watch football and play bj. It was the second losing day of the trip. Between bj and fb bets, I went down $120. Got home about 5 and made us a couple of hefty salads for dinner.
This morning, Helen and I had coffee and watched the morning news before I headed to MGM to play poker. Between 10 and 3 p.m., I ground out a profit of $86, a nice turnaround from Sunday's setback. I got home about 4, picked up our mail and checked my emails. Just finished putting together a big pot of chili on the stove where it'll cook for an hour or so. Tonight we'll be relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Profitable Strip Stroll
Friday morning began with coffee, a bagel and an hour-long visit with our Italian friends, Tony Soprano and his family.
About 9 a.m. I hit the road to the Strip. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and made a football bet for my friend Terry. He likes the Cardinals -12 vs. Detroit tomorrow. I played a little blackjack at Bills, cashing out with a modest profit of $26.
Then I strolled next door to the Flamingo where I sat down at a $10 bj table and played for about an hour, racking up a profit of $50. So far in two stops, I'm up $76.
Over dozens of Las Vegas visits, I've always tried to do a few of these "hit and run" strolls down the Strip. My theory is that during any single bj session there is a point where a player is usually up, even if it's only $20 or so. If you stay longer, you often give back that minor profit. But if you take that profit, then hit the next joint, you can rack up $100 or more during several stops.
With that in mind, I wandered into Harrah's and played at a bj table for about an hour or so with two farmers from Kansas. They were still there when I cashed out with a profit of $57. That's $133 in three stops and I decided to take my profit and have lunch - an eight-piece order of wings and a diet Pepsi at WingStop inside O'Shea's.
From there it was back to Bill's where I parked the car. Now it was about 2 p.m. and I fully intended to head home with my $133. But I saw a $5 bj table beckoning me and I bought in for $40. A young couple was playing there and it was obvious they didn't know what the heck they were doing. I cringed inside and bet minimum bets of $5-$8, fearing the impact their goofy decisions would have on my cards. After about 15 minutes, I was up $23 and decided to walk.
So during the four sessions, I profited $156 - nice!
When I got home, there was an email from my brother Gordon, explaining that this weekend they will be bringing my Dad back to Michigan from Florida. Dad will be going into an adult care facility in a Detroit suburb, near my sister Bev. Dad's been falling repeatedly and needs more care than Gordon and his wife Chris are able to provide. I'm feeling sad about this, but hopefully Dad will get quality, compassionate care in this new home.
For dinner I slapped together some tasty chicken salad sandwiches, with a crunchy dill pickle and corn chips. Not fancy, but delicious.
Tonight Helen and I will be going to the Las Vegas Ballet performance of The Nutcracker at Paris Hotel and Casino. Really looking forward to this holiday masterpiece as our LV adventure continues...
About 9 a.m. I hit the road to the Strip. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and made a football bet for my friend Terry. He likes the Cardinals -12 vs. Detroit tomorrow. I played a little blackjack at Bills, cashing out with a modest profit of $26.
Then I strolled next door to the Flamingo where I sat down at a $10 bj table and played for about an hour, racking up a profit of $50. So far in two stops, I'm up $76.
Over dozens of Las Vegas visits, I've always tried to do a few of these "hit and run" strolls down the Strip. My theory is that during any single bj session there is a point where a player is usually up, even if it's only $20 or so. If you stay longer, you often give back that minor profit. But if you take that profit, then hit the next joint, you can rack up $100 or more during several stops.
With that in mind, I wandered into Harrah's and played at a bj table for about an hour or so with two farmers from Kansas. They were still there when I cashed out with a profit of $57. That's $133 in three stops and I decided to take my profit and have lunch - an eight-piece order of wings and a diet Pepsi at WingStop inside O'Shea's.
From there it was back to Bill's where I parked the car. Now it was about 2 p.m. and I fully intended to head home with my $133. But I saw a $5 bj table beckoning me and I bought in for $40. A young couple was playing there and it was obvious they didn't know what the heck they were doing. I cringed inside and bet minimum bets of $5-$8, fearing the impact their goofy decisions would have on my cards. After about 15 minutes, I was up $23 and decided to walk.
So during the four sessions, I profited $156 - nice!
When I got home, there was an email from my brother Gordon, explaining that this weekend they will be bringing my Dad back to Michigan from Florida. Dad will be going into an adult care facility in a Detroit suburb, near my sister Bev. Dad's been falling repeatedly and needs more care than Gordon and his wife Chris are able to provide. I'm feeling sad about this, but hopefully Dad will get quality, compassionate care in this new home.
For dinner I slapped together some tasty chicken salad sandwiches, with a crunchy dill pickle and corn chips. Not fancy, but delicious.
Tonight Helen and I will be going to the Las Vegas Ballet performance of The Nutcracker at Paris Hotel and Casino. Really looking forward to this holiday masterpiece as our LV adventure continues...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wagerless Wednesday & Profitable Thursday
Wednesday was devoted to running some errands and just relaxing.
The morning began with hot coffee and the morning news. At 945 I took Helen to her weekly Bible study group at the Lakes Lutheran church, then returned home to check emails and read some online news web sites. After picking her up at 11:30 and returning to the apt., I made us lunch of turkey and cheese sandwiches.
Then it was off to the grocery store to pick up a few things, which turned into a major shopping trip. Got back to the apt. about 2:30 and just relaxed a while, watching TV, getting the mail and kicking back. Dinner was some hefty salads with organic greens, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, cheddar cheese and kidney beans. In the evening we watched some TV and our niece Katie called.
This morning I headed off to the Strip for some poker. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked across to Bally's where I got in a $1-2 no-limit game. I bought in for $100 and played even for about an hour. Then I hit a real dry spell and even though I was patient, my stack dwindled down to about $45. But, as poker sometimes goes, I won a pot with Aces and 10s
and then another with three 7s. Not huge pots, but enough to get me ahead about $25.
Eventually I checked my stack and I was $10 up and decided to walk. I returned to Bill's where the car was parked and since I hadn't had lunch, opted for one of their $2 hotdogs. But first I sat at a blackjack table where I won the first 6 hands before the dealer had to shuffle. A quick count showed I was up $75, so I cashed out and went for that hotdog.
While at Bill's I got a $50 bet on the Colts for Terry and a $20 fb teaser for myself that will pay $140 if it hits - Colts over 38, Pats -1, Saints -1, Packers +8, Chargers -1 and Cardinals -6.
Total profit for the day was a hard-fought $65, pending the outcome of the fb bet.
Got home about 4p.m. and whipped up a tasty dinner of beef nachos with guacamole and sour cream. Now we're just relaxing with the Thursday night comedy shows on NBC - always a chuckle or two there. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
The morning began with hot coffee and the morning news. At 945 I took Helen to her weekly Bible study group at the Lakes Lutheran church, then returned home to check emails and read some online news web sites. After picking her up at 11:30 and returning to the apt., I made us lunch of turkey and cheese sandwiches.
Then it was off to the grocery store to pick up a few things, which turned into a major shopping trip. Got back to the apt. about 2:30 and just relaxed a while, watching TV, getting the mail and kicking back. Dinner was some hefty salads with organic greens, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, cheddar cheese and kidney beans. In the evening we watched some TV and our niece Katie called.
This morning I headed off to the Strip for some poker. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked across to Bally's where I got in a $1-2 no-limit game. I bought in for $100 and played even for about an hour. Then I hit a real dry spell and even though I was patient, my stack dwindled down to about $45. But, as poker sometimes goes, I won a pot with Aces and 10s
and then another with three 7s. Not huge pots, but enough to get me ahead about $25.
Eventually I checked my stack and I was $10 up and decided to walk. I returned to Bill's where the car was parked and since I hadn't had lunch, opted for one of their $2 hotdogs. But first I sat at a blackjack table where I won the first 6 hands before the dealer had to shuffle. A quick count showed I was up $75, so I cashed out and went for that hotdog.
While at Bill's I got a $50 bet on the Colts for Terry and a $20 fb teaser for myself that will pay $140 if it hits - Colts over 38, Pats -1, Saints -1, Packers +8, Chargers -1 and Cardinals -6.
Total profit for the day was a hard-fought $65, pending the outcome of the fb bet.
Got home about 4p.m. and whipped up a tasty dinner of beef nachos with guacamole and sour cream. Now we're just relaxing with the Thursday night comedy shows on NBC - always a chuckle or two there. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Bellagio Visit
Tuesday morning I started the day by writing my January casino entertainment column for the Booth newspapers. It takes about two hours to compile the concert lineup and write it.
Then I had to make a quick trip to the Suncoast to cash a fb ticket for my friend Terry, who just missed a $1,000 winner when the Az-SF game failed to total more than 44 points. Anyway he backed it up with a $150 under bet, so I needed to go get his cash.
Helen was on the phone with Anna when I left the apt around 9:30. After getting T's money, I found a blackjack table and played for about 45 minutes. It was a really nice run with several nice double downs and splits. Playing $10-20 per hand, I walked away up $240. But I wasn't the biggest winner at the table. A guy sitting at third base was playing $50 to $200 per hand and had a HUGE stack of black ($100) and green ($25) chips when I left. Hope he walked with a nice profit and didn't give it back!
I was home by 11 or so and made Helen and I a lunch of turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwiches in pita bread.
It was such a nice day - 60 and sunny - that we decided to take a ride down to the Strip. It was Helen's first visit to the Strip since we arrived in LV. She's been relaxing at home for most of the time.
We decided to check out Bellagio and its Christmas decorations. We parked in the B's parking deck and took an elevator that delivered us right outside the Conservatory, which was BEAUTIFULLY decorated with all types of floral plants. Huge reindeer were made of brown nuts (someone said pecans), while polar bears were made of white flowers (maybe carnations) and hundreds of poinsettias were stunning. Oversized Xmas packages and candy were on display, along with towering Nutcrackers. Like everything at the B, it's really impressive!!
We stayed at the B for about an hour or so, checking out the casino decorations. After walking a while, we took a break at a 25-cent blackjack machine. I put in $20 and cashed out with $20.50 - a profit of 50 Cents! That's a 2.5 percent return on my money...not outstanding, but about the same as a bank CD, I think!
After returning home, we watched a little TV and thought about dinner. We decided on lasagna (Thank You Stouffers) along with a side salad. The evening was spent with our TV friends from "The Office" - a two-hour chucklefest from 8-10 on TBS. A quiet night, but today I'm sure our adventure will continue...
Then I had to make a quick trip to the Suncoast to cash a fb ticket for my friend Terry, who just missed a $1,000 winner when the Az-SF game failed to total more than 44 points. Anyway he backed it up with a $150 under bet, so I needed to go get his cash.
Helen was on the phone with Anna when I left the apt around 9:30. After getting T's money, I found a blackjack table and played for about 45 minutes. It was a really nice run with several nice double downs and splits. Playing $10-20 per hand, I walked away up $240. But I wasn't the biggest winner at the table. A guy sitting at third base was playing $50 to $200 per hand and had a HUGE stack of black ($100) and green ($25) chips when I left. Hope he walked with a nice profit and didn't give it back!
I was home by 11 or so and made Helen and I a lunch of turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwiches in pita bread.
It was such a nice day - 60 and sunny - that we decided to take a ride down to the Strip. It was Helen's first visit to the Strip since we arrived in LV. She's been relaxing at home for most of the time.
We decided to check out Bellagio and its Christmas decorations. We parked in the B's parking deck and took an elevator that delivered us right outside the Conservatory, which was BEAUTIFULLY decorated with all types of floral plants. Huge reindeer were made of brown nuts (someone said pecans), while polar bears were made of white flowers (maybe carnations) and hundreds of poinsettias were stunning. Oversized Xmas packages and candy were on display, along with towering Nutcrackers. Like everything at the B, it's really impressive!!
We stayed at the B for about an hour or so, checking out the casino decorations. After walking a while, we took a break at a 25-cent blackjack machine. I put in $20 and cashed out with $20.50 - a profit of 50 Cents! That's a 2.5 percent return on my money...not outstanding, but about the same as a bank CD, I think!
After returning home, we watched a little TV and thought about dinner. We decided on lasagna (Thank You Stouffers) along with a side salad. The evening was spent with our TV friends from "The Office" - a two-hour chucklefest from 8-10 on TBS. A quiet night, but today I'm sure our adventure will continue...
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday at Red Rock, Monday at Suncoast
Sunday morning began with Helen and I attending the 8 a.m. service at The Lakes Lutheran Church. Never hurts to start the day in an inspirational way.
After church, I headed over to the Red Rock to watch the NFL games, which begin at 10 a.m. out here in the Pacific Time Zone. I had 4 parlay, teaser cards and they all went down. Closest I got was a $20 parlay that would have paid $500 if I hit all 5 games. Hit four of five, losing on the Raiders +1 against the Redskins.
Meanwhile, my friend Terry has a VERY LIVE 6-team parlay ticket that will pay $1,000 if Az-SF combine for more than 44 points tonight. And it's a "Ties Win" parlay, meaning that if the total hits right on 44 (24-20, 27-17) T will collect the grand. As a backup, he had me put $150 on the under for him. But interestingly, since he got the first ticket, the total rose to 45...which means he could actually hit BOTH tickets if it falls right on that magic number of 44!!!!
This morning I went to Suncoast to get his under ticket and played some blackjack while there. I had a really nice session - cashing up $195. So I put $50 on the Cardinals -4 tonight. That means for today I'll either profit $145 or $245 -- Go Cards!!
While I was grinding out a profit at the green felt tables, Helen was on the phone with Anna and later her sister Natalie. Still cold and snowy in TC. Not at all like here where it's 58 and bright sunshine. What a great place LV is in winter!!
That's all for today, but tomorrow our adventure will surely continue...
After church, I headed over to the Red Rock to watch the NFL games, which begin at 10 a.m. out here in the Pacific Time Zone. I had 4 parlay, teaser cards and they all went down. Closest I got was a $20 parlay that would have paid $500 if I hit all 5 games. Hit four of five, losing on the Raiders +1 against the Redskins.
Meanwhile, my friend Terry has a VERY LIVE 6-team parlay ticket that will pay $1,000 if Az-SF combine for more than 44 points tonight. And it's a "Ties Win" parlay, meaning that if the total hits right on 44 (24-20, 27-17) T will collect the grand. As a backup, he had me put $150 on the under for him. But interestingly, since he got the first ticket, the total rose to 45...which means he could actually hit BOTH tickets if it falls right on that magic number of 44!!!!
This morning I went to Suncoast to get his under ticket and played some blackjack while there. I had a really nice session - cashing up $195. So I put $50 on the Cardinals -4 tonight. That means for today I'll either profit $145 or $245 -- Go Cards!!
While I was grinding out a profit at the green felt tables, Helen was on the phone with Anna and later her sister Natalie. Still cold and snowy in TC. Not at all like here where it's 58 and bright sunshine. What a great place LV is in winter!!
That's all for today, but tomorrow our adventure will surely continue...
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday and Saturday - A Push
Didn't mean to fall behind in the blogging, but I need to catch up Friday and Saturday in this one entry.
Friday saw me park at Bally's then head to Planet Hollywood for some poker. I arrived around 11 a.m. and got seated at a shiny new $1-2 no limit game that was just opening. Things did not go well. I got very few good starting hands and when I did, they seemed to fall short on the turn or river. My best hand, a flush, got beaten by a higher flush. My pair of Qs got edged on the river by an Ace. Things like that. But that's poker. Anyway, I left down $140 for the day.
For those watching our diet, dinner was a Middle Eastern feast with hummus, fresh pita bread, kalamati olives, tabouli and lebne. Dessert was a fist full of Ghiradelli chocolate squares - Man, those babies are addictive!
Niece Katie called last night and it was great to catch up with her. She'll be coming out here on Feb. 18 for an open end visit. Can't wait to show her the sites.
This morning I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few items and Helen's prescription, before going down to the Monte Carlo poker room. I parked at the MC and walked to Planet Hollywood to cash a hoops ticket. The walk was made MUCH longer by the construction of City Center along the west side of the Strip. They have the sidewalk blocked, so what used to be a straight walk down the Strip is now a meandering hike up steps, across walkways, and back down steps - all outside the City Center. Man what a hassle!!!
After cashing the ticket, I returned to the MC and got a seat at a $1-2 no limit game. It was up and down from the get go. Aggressive play with only average cards enabled me to get up $60-70 early, but then a L-O-O-O-N-G dry spell saw my pile melt back to about even.
Things looked better when I glanced at my hand and found A-A looking back at me. I bet $15 and got one caller. The flop was 3-9-J of mixed suits and I tossed out $25. The guy called. The turn was a Q and I bet another $25, hoping he had something like K-Q. Anyway, he went all in for $25. He showed his Q-Q, giving him a set and my only hope was to snag one of the two remaining Aces. No luck...
I had told Helen I would be home about 5, but when the time to leave came I was down about $60, so I called and pushed back my departure by an hour. I was hoping I could hit a hand or two to at least get back to even. My plan worked perfectly when I looked down and again saw A-A looking back at me.
This time, I was REALLY aggressive. I was in late position and an early raiser bet $15 and got four callers. I had about $75 left and went ALL IN. Two guys called, one had K-K and the other had 10-10. My Aces held up and the pot was over $200. When the dust settled, I had posted a hard-earned profit of $142 - two dollars more than I had lost on Friday, LOL!
I called Helen and we decided to celebrate with a take-out dinner of sandwiches from Jason's Deli, a national chain with a store only a mile or so from our apartment. I went for the "New York Yankees" pastrami on rye, while Helen opted for the "California Club." Both are hefty sandwiches in true deli tradition.
Now we're just relaxing after dinner with a little TV, but tomorrow our adventure continues.
..
Friday saw me park at Bally's then head to Planet Hollywood for some poker. I arrived around 11 a.m. and got seated at a shiny new $1-2 no limit game that was just opening. Things did not go well. I got very few good starting hands and when I did, they seemed to fall short on the turn or river. My best hand, a flush, got beaten by a higher flush. My pair of Qs got edged on the river by an Ace. Things like that. But that's poker. Anyway, I left down $140 for the day.
For those watching our diet, dinner was a Middle Eastern feast with hummus, fresh pita bread, kalamati olives, tabouli and lebne. Dessert was a fist full of Ghiradelli chocolate squares - Man, those babies are addictive!
Niece Katie called last night and it was great to catch up with her. She'll be coming out here on Feb. 18 for an open end visit. Can't wait to show her the sites.
This morning I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few items and Helen's prescription, before going down to the Monte Carlo poker room. I parked at the MC and walked to Planet Hollywood to cash a hoops ticket. The walk was made MUCH longer by the construction of City Center along the west side of the Strip. They have the sidewalk blocked, so what used to be a straight walk down the Strip is now a meandering hike up steps, across walkways, and back down steps - all outside the City Center. Man what a hassle!!!
After cashing the ticket, I returned to the MC and got a seat at a $1-2 no limit game. It was up and down from the get go. Aggressive play with only average cards enabled me to get up $60-70 early, but then a L-O-O-O-N-G dry spell saw my pile melt back to about even.
Things looked better when I glanced at my hand and found A-A looking back at me. I bet $15 and got one caller. The flop was 3-9-J of mixed suits and I tossed out $25. The guy called. The turn was a Q and I bet another $25, hoping he had something like K-Q. Anyway, he went all in for $25. He showed his Q-Q, giving him a set and my only hope was to snag one of the two remaining Aces. No luck...
I had told Helen I would be home about 5, but when the time to leave came I was down about $60, so I called and pushed back my departure by an hour. I was hoping I could hit a hand or two to at least get back to even. My plan worked perfectly when I looked down and again saw A-A looking back at me.
This time, I was REALLY aggressive. I was in late position and an early raiser bet $15 and got four callers. I had about $75 left and went ALL IN. Two guys called, one had K-K and the other had 10-10. My Aces held up and the pot was over $200. When the dust settled, I had posted a hard-earned profit of $142 - two dollars more than I had lost on Friday, LOL!
I called Helen and we decided to celebrate with a take-out dinner of sandwiches from Jason's Deli, a national chain with a store only a mile or so from our apartment. I went for the "New York Yankees" pastrami on rye, while Helen opted for the "California Club." Both are hefty sandwiches in true deli tradition.
Now we're just relaxing after dinner with a little TV, but tomorrow our adventure continues.
..
Friday, December 11, 2009
Free Show Tickets, Sort of...
Thursday's adventure began on the Strip when I parked at Bally's and went to Paris to cash a sports bet (Go, Red Raiders).
While at Paris I planned to buy a couple of tickets to The Nutcracker, one of Helen's favorite Christmas traditions, which is being performed by the Las Vegas Ballet at the Paris theater. I arrived about 9:15 a.m. and the ticket booth was closed til 9:30, so I killed time at a blackjack table waiting for the booth to open.
It worked out well, since I racked up $150 in chips in about 20 minutes. I needed $130 for the tickets, so I took the money, walked and made the purchase. Free tickets, plus $20 - a good start to the day.
While there I made a $50 hoops totals bet (Syracuse & Florida over 145 - easy winner!!!) and a $100 bet for Terry on the Pistons (over 198.5 total - winner!!!)
I haven't been to Bellagio or Caesars Palace yet this trip, so I walked thru both of them to get a little exercise and to see what had changed. The B is in full-blown holiday mode with oversized presents and candies decorating the place. It's beautiful as usual.
CP looked the same, though a bit too quiet. I walked through the Forum Shops and exited near the Mirage, where I went in to check out a new eatery, BB Kings BBQ. It looks bluesy and since it was almost 11 a.m. I had some brunch there - three pancakes and bacon, plus coffee for $18, including tip. A bit pricey for flapjacks.
Then I crossed the street to Harrah's where I sat in at a bj table and quickly lost $100. Tried another table and things went better - I won $205. That was all the cards for the day. Walking back to the car, I stopped at Ghiradelli's to buy Helen some chocolates and at Bill's Gambling Hall where I made a $25 parlay bet on the Steelers-Browns game. They have a promotion going where you get a Free t-shirt if you make a $25 fb bet, so I did get a shirt, though the bet lost when the teams couldn't score over 33 points.
So far the day I won $125 in blackjack, plus $25 on the sports bets. Not bad.
When I got home, Helen was really surprised by the chocolates and show tickets. Dinner was a couple of hefty salads that I crafted out of organic baby greens, roma tomatoes, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar, We're looking forward to seeing the Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 19. Hitting the Vegas Strip on a Saturday night will be BIG fun as our adventure continues...
While at Paris I planned to buy a couple of tickets to The Nutcracker, one of Helen's favorite Christmas traditions, which is being performed by the Las Vegas Ballet at the Paris theater. I arrived about 9:15 a.m. and the ticket booth was closed til 9:30, so I killed time at a blackjack table waiting for the booth to open.
It worked out well, since I racked up $150 in chips in about 20 minutes. I needed $130 for the tickets, so I took the money, walked and made the purchase. Free tickets, plus $20 - a good start to the day.
While there I made a $50 hoops totals bet (Syracuse & Florida over 145 - easy winner!!!) and a $100 bet for Terry on the Pistons (over 198.5 total - winner!!!)
I haven't been to Bellagio or Caesars Palace yet this trip, so I walked thru both of them to get a little exercise and to see what had changed. The B is in full-blown holiday mode with oversized presents and candies decorating the place. It's beautiful as usual.
CP looked the same, though a bit too quiet. I walked through the Forum Shops and exited near the Mirage, where I went in to check out a new eatery, BB Kings BBQ. It looks bluesy and since it was almost 11 a.m. I had some brunch there - three pancakes and bacon, plus coffee for $18, including tip. A bit pricey for flapjacks.
Then I crossed the street to Harrah's where I sat in at a bj table and quickly lost $100. Tried another table and things went better - I won $205. That was all the cards for the day. Walking back to the car, I stopped at Ghiradelli's to buy Helen some chocolates and at Bill's Gambling Hall where I made a $25 parlay bet on the Steelers-Browns game. They have a promotion going where you get a Free t-shirt if you make a $25 fb bet, so I did get a shirt, though the bet lost when the teams couldn't score over 33 points.
So far the day I won $125 in blackjack, plus $25 on the sports bets. Not bad.
When I got home, Helen was really surprised by the chocolates and show tickets. Dinner was a couple of hefty salads that I crafted out of organic baby greens, roma tomatoes, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar, We're looking forward to seeing the Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 19. Hitting the Vegas Strip on a Saturday night will be BIG fun as our adventure continues...
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wagerless Wednesday
Yesterday was devoted to running some errands with Helen and just taking a break from my winning streak.
After breakfast I took Helen to her Wednesday morning bible study group that meets from 10-1130 am each week. I dropped her off, then returned to the apartment to catch up on emails and relax. About 11 I went to our storage unit to let the manager know we are turning over our unit. They're friendly people there and we'll probably use them again when we pack up in late April.
Then I picked Helen up, returned to the apartment and fixed us a lunch of turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwiches on pita bread. A crunchy dill pickle served as a tasty garnish.
Then it was off to Wal-Mart where Helen had a long list of things she wanted to pick up, including a prescription. The pharmacy was such a huge frustrating hassle. We dropped off the prescription as soon as we arrived and the clerk said it would take 45 minutes to fill. Fine, we were shopping anyway.
While we were at the pharmacy, I got a phone call from my friend Terry who was interested in getting a bet down on the Red Wings game to go over the total of 5 goals. Lucky for him I wasn't heading to a casino, since it was a 1-0 game.
After 45 minutes we had picked up all our items and returned to the pharmacy where we were told there was a problem with the insurance. After 15 minutes of waiting there, we were told the insurance was fine, but now they didn't have a large enough supply of the drug to fill the prescription. What kind of pharmacy doesn't keep enough meds to fill a routine prescription?
I don't know what's more inefficient, the Wal-Mart pharmacy or the LV Post Offices. Both are TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, the pharmacy gave Helen a partial fill to last 3 days and asked us to come back late today or Friday to pick up the rest. I'll wait til Friday, maybe even Saturday, to get the remainder. We headed home and watched some TV, then I whipped up a dinner of spaghetti and a hefty side salad.
Today I plan to head to the Strip and see if my streak (7 straight winning days) will continue...
After breakfast I took Helen to her Wednesday morning bible study group that meets from 10-1130 am each week. I dropped her off, then returned to the apartment to catch up on emails and relax. About 11 I went to our storage unit to let the manager know we are turning over our unit. They're friendly people there and we'll probably use them again when we pack up in late April.
Then I picked Helen up, returned to the apartment and fixed us a lunch of turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwiches on pita bread. A crunchy dill pickle served as a tasty garnish.
Then it was off to Wal-Mart where Helen had a long list of things she wanted to pick up, including a prescription. The pharmacy was such a huge frustrating hassle. We dropped off the prescription as soon as we arrived and the clerk said it would take 45 minutes to fill. Fine, we were shopping anyway.
While we were at the pharmacy, I got a phone call from my friend Terry who was interested in getting a bet down on the Red Wings game to go over the total of 5 goals. Lucky for him I wasn't heading to a casino, since it was a 1-0 game.
After 45 minutes we had picked up all our items and returned to the pharmacy where we were told there was a problem with the insurance. After 15 minutes of waiting there, we were told the insurance was fine, but now they didn't have a large enough supply of the drug to fill the prescription. What kind of pharmacy doesn't keep enough meds to fill a routine prescription?
I don't know what's more inefficient, the Wal-Mart pharmacy or the LV Post Offices. Both are TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, the pharmacy gave Helen a partial fill to last 3 days and asked us to come back late today or Friday to pick up the rest. I'll wait til Friday, maybe even Saturday, to get the remainder. We headed home and watched some TV, then I whipped up a dinner of spaghetti and a hefty side salad.
Today I plan to head to the Strip and see if my streak (7 straight winning days) will continue...
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Poker Turns Ugly
Tuesday morning found me heading out to mail a package full of shoes to Katie in Traverse City.
The post offices in LV are easily the worst operated facilities I have ever had the displeasure to use. EVERY single time I've been there it's been long lines, literally out the door. They manage to achieve this ineptitude by opening only 1 or 2 windows when there are 6 other windows that remain unstaffed. When I arrived, about 930, I counted the folks ahead of me and I was 26th in line. Some 35 minutes later I finally got to the window, mailed the package and bought Christmas stamps.
Then I was off to the Excalibur to try their poker room. Since I was last there in May, the Excalibur converted their poker tables from all electronic to having live dealers. I read on one poker website that the players there were typically beginners, so I was eager to fish in that pond.
Unfortunately, I had nothing but bad fortune this trip. My best hand, an A-high Flush, was beaten on the river by a guy who hit a king to give him a full house, one of only two outs he had to win the hefty pot. When I did get a good hand, A-A, no one would play so I won a tiny pot. What a waste of good cards. When the smoke settled, I was down $170 and took a walk after about two hours of getting bruised hand after hand.
I consoled myself at a blackjack table and squeeked out a $30 win, leaving me still down $140. It was about 1:30 and I decided to go to Bally's and check out the poker scene there. It was busy and there were three names ahead of me on the $1-2 list, so I signed up and waddled over to a bj table to kill time.
It turned out to be a good move. I won 4 of the first 5 hands and was quickly up $50 or so. Eventually I built that up to $270 and decided to walk after recovering all I lost at Excalibur and leaving with a profit of $130.
Texas Tech was playing TCU in hoops, so I walked to the Paris sports book and put $20 on the Red Raiders -2.5. They won 80-70, leaving me with a hard-earned profit of $150 for the day.
When I got home about 4 p.m., Helen was watching TV. I got some spaghetti sauce going on the stove with roma tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and onions. It was a tasty, filling dinner to top off my comeback. Later we watched reruns of "The Office" (still funny) and wound down with a cheese and crackers snack. Pretty exciting LV lifestyle, huh? But today our adventure continues...
The post offices in LV are easily the worst operated facilities I have ever had the displeasure to use. EVERY single time I've been there it's been long lines, literally out the door. They manage to achieve this ineptitude by opening only 1 or 2 windows when there are 6 other windows that remain unstaffed. When I arrived, about 930, I counted the folks ahead of me and I was 26th in line. Some 35 minutes later I finally got to the window, mailed the package and bought Christmas stamps.
Then I was off to the Excalibur to try their poker room. Since I was last there in May, the Excalibur converted their poker tables from all electronic to having live dealers. I read on one poker website that the players there were typically beginners, so I was eager to fish in that pond.
Unfortunately, I had nothing but bad fortune this trip. My best hand, an A-high Flush, was beaten on the river by a guy who hit a king to give him a full house, one of only two outs he had to win the hefty pot. When I did get a good hand, A-A, no one would play so I won a tiny pot. What a waste of good cards. When the smoke settled, I was down $170 and took a walk after about two hours of getting bruised hand after hand.
I consoled myself at a blackjack table and squeeked out a $30 win, leaving me still down $140. It was about 1:30 and I decided to go to Bally's and check out the poker scene there. It was busy and there were three names ahead of me on the $1-2 list, so I signed up and waddled over to a bj table to kill time.
It turned out to be a good move. I won 4 of the first 5 hands and was quickly up $50 or so. Eventually I built that up to $270 and decided to walk after recovering all I lost at Excalibur and leaving with a profit of $130.
Texas Tech was playing TCU in hoops, so I walked to the Paris sports book and put $20 on the Red Raiders -2.5. They won 80-70, leaving me with a hard-earned profit of $150 for the day.
When I got home about 4 p.m., Helen was watching TV. I got some spaghetti sauce going on the stove with roma tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and onions. It was a tasty, filling dinner to top off my comeback. Later we watched reruns of "The Office" (still funny) and wound down with a cheese and crackers snack. Pretty exciting LV lifestyle, huh? But today our adventure continues...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monte Carlo Monday
On Monday I visited the poker room at the Monte Carlo, one of the nicest rooms on the Strip. It's done in tones of brown and beige, with comfortable chairs and nice tables that seat 9 players. Some poker tables seat 10, which is a little too crowded for my taste.
Anyway, I waited about 20 minutes, killing time on a 100-play 1-cent poker machine that my friend Terry and I played last year (cashed out 12 cents up), until they got a $1-2 no limit game going with 6 players. Soon the table filled up. I was lucky enough to win a couple of small pots early, getting up about $50 after 15 minutes. It was a portent of things to come.
This turned out to be one of the best (luckiest) poker runs I have ever had. Over the next four hours, I had A-K six times, K-K twice, Q-Q once and several other pairs. After about 90 minutes, I was up about $325 when the BIG hand of the day developed.
I was dealt Q-J of hearts and called the $2 blind. There were 6 of us who saw the flop of A-K-10 of mixed suits. I had flopped an A-10 straight, called Broadway!! The first player, a 60-ish local wearing an Orleans jacket and a Mandalay Bay ball cap, bet $25, causing four others to fold around to me. I called his $25, thinking that a raise might scare him away. The turn card was a 7 and the first guy bet $50. Again I called. The river was a 4.
There were no flush possibilities and I knew I had the highest straight, so it was just a matter of trying to get the most cash out of my opponent. He aggressively shoved out $100 and I (fake) thought about it, all the while giggling inside. I hemmed and hawed and raised him to $200. He didn't have the other $100, but went all in for about $70. I showed the straight and he flung his pocket 10s into the middle of the table.
He had flopped a set and was behind from the start!!
He didn't rebuy and stormed away muttering.
That hand put me up about $650 and I was rolling. The whole table was very reluctant to get into big hands with me. I lost a few small hands, then cashed out at 3 p.m. with a profit of $625 - my best poker day of the trip and one of the best in the past two years.
Before heading home I had a slice of pizza and a drink at Sbarro's in the MC food court. I called Helen to share the good news. Leaving the Strip was tedious. Rain and heavy traffic slowed my trip home and along the way I stopped at the Middle Eastern Market for fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli and lebne. It's one of Helen's favorite dinners and one we have at least once a week.
The evening was relaxing, just watching TV and catching up on emails. Today I have a couple of errands to take care of - a trip to the dreaded LV post office to mail shoes to Katie and gassing/washing the car. Probably play somewhere today too as our LV adventure continues...
Anyway, I waited about 20 minutes, killing time on a 100-play 1-cent poker machine that my friend Terry and I played last year (cashed out 12 cents up), until they got a $1-2 no limit game going with 6 players. Soon the table filled up. I was lucky enough to win a couple of small pots early, getting up about $50 after 15 minutes. It was a portent of things to come.
This turned out to be one of the best (luckiest) poker runs I have ever had. Over the next four hours, I had A-K six times, K-K twice, Q-Q once and several other pairs. After about 90 minutes, I was up about $325 when the BIG hand of the day developed.
I was dealt Q-J of hearts and called the $2 blind. There were 6 of us who saw the flop of A-K-10 of mixed suits. I had flopped an A-10 straight, called Broadway!! The first player, a 60-ish local wearing an Orleans jacket and a Mandalay Bay ball cap, bet $25, causing four others to fold around to me. I called his $25, thinking that a raise might scare him away. The turn card was a 7 and the first guy bet $50. Again I called. The river was a 4.
There were no flush possibilities and I knew I had the highest straight, so it was just a matter of trying to get the most cash out of my opponent. He aggressively shoved out $100 and I (fake) thought about it, all the while giggling inside. I hemmed and hawed and raised him to $200. He didn't have the other $100, but went all in for about $70. I showed the straight and he flung his pocket 10s into the middle of the table.
He had flopped a set and was behind from the start!!
He didn't rebuy and stormed away muttering.
That hand put me up about $650 and I was rolling. The whole table was very reluctant to get into big hands with me. I lost a few small hands, then cashed out at 3 p.m. with a profit of $625 - my best poker day of the trip and one of the best in the past two years.
Before heading home I had a slice of pizza and a drink at Sbarro's in the MC food court. I called Helen to share the good news. Leaving the Strip was tedious. Rain and heavy traffic slowed my trip home and along the way I stopped at the Middle Eastern Market for fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli and lebne. It's one of Helen's favorite dinners and one we have at least once a week.
The evening was relaxing, just watching TV and catching up on emails. Today I have a couple of errands to take care of - a trip to the dreaded LV post office to mail shoes to Katie and gassing/washing the car. Probably play somewhere today too as our LV adventure continues...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Suncoast Pays The Most
Sunday morning began with Helen and I attending the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran church, just three miles or so from our apartment. It was great to see several of our friends there and they warmly welcomed us back.
By 9:15 we were back home where I whipped up a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and mushrooms, topped with melted cheddar. It was pretty tasty and a nice way to start our Sunday.
About 10:15, Helen got a call from her longtime friend Pat who lives in Italy. I could tell they had a lot of catching up to do and I was interested in watching football, so I slipped over to the Suncoast to catch the games. I had a live $10 teaser ticket that would pay $100 if it hit. I had no real interest in the early games and really hoped to get a seat at a $1-2 no limit game in the Suncoast poker room. But there was a tourney underway, so I headed to the blackjack pit and grabbed a seat there.
The game was double-deck pitch and it began slowly, with a win-lose-lose sort of stuttering start. Then things picked up and I was suddenly up $50 or so. One big hand happened when I bet $20 and caught a pair of 8s vs. the dealer's 5. Had to split the pair and snagged another 8. So I shoved another $20 out there for a total of $60. After the dust settled on my side, I had two 19s and a 14. Dealer had 10 in the hole and slapped a 7 on top for a 22- BUST.
That $60 win really got things going and after about two hours I was up almost $200. Then things turned bad again and I dropped about $40. But in true BJ fashion, the next shoe (or fist, since the dealer was dealing two decks from her hand) was profitable and when it was over I was up $220. It's my 5th straight winning day and the LARGEST of the trip, so far!
I decided to quit there, look for some lunch and check the fb scores.
Over in the sports book they had a mini buffet of $1 hot dogs and $1 pulled pork sandwiches. I opted for the pulled pork and it was huge and tasty! The best $1 lunch I've had in a LONG time!! The sports book was buzzing. Anyone who's been in a Vegas book during NFL Sunday will know how electric the atmosphere can be with cheering erupting on every play. I was lucky to snag a seat and watch the late games, including the Dallas-Giants game. I had Dallas +2 in my teaser and felt good when they jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Then they fell apart and lost to the New Yawkers, who had lost their last 5 games...aaaargh!
Headed home after that debacle where Helen was online when I arrived. For dinner I made her a hefty salad and I opted for some of the leftover BBQ we enjoyed the night before. Ribs and chicken filled me up and there are still a couple of ribs left for munching on tonight. We'll definitely be hitting Famous Dave's BBQ when Katie arrives in February. She loves BBQ and I'm pretty sure she'll love this place.
We watched some TV, Lord of the Rings, then went to bed tired but happy. That chip cashing can really wear ya out!
Early morning weather reports warn that SNOW IS POSSIBLE today! Maybe an inch or so in the LV Valley. One noted that the last snow in LV fell a year ago yesterday. We remember it well - the locals went sort of whacky with lots of fender benders and kids making snow angels in a half-inch of white stuff. Out here they think 40 degrees is C-O-O-O-O-L-D!!!
Today I'm thinking of hitting the strip for some more poker. Maybe Planet Hollywood again or the Monte Carlo or Venetian. Each has its good/bad points. PH has newbie players, but is usually busy with tourneys. The Monte Carlo is quiet and comfortable, but often filled with tight-playing old geezer locals. The Venetian has plenty of games and comfortable tables/chairs, but also has some of the toughest players in town. Where to go, where to go?
Tune in later to see what happens in our LV adventure...
By 9:15 we were back home where I whipped up a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and mushrooms, topped with melted cheddar. It was pretty tasty and a nice way to start our Sunday.
About 10:15, Helen got a call from her longtime friend Pat who lives in Italy. I could tell they had a lot of catching up to do and I was interested in watching football, so I slipped over to the Suncoast to catch the games. I had a live $10 teaser ticket that would pay $100 if it hit. I had no real interest in the early games and really hoped to get a seat at a $1-2 no limit game in the Suncoast poker room. But there was a tourney underway, so I headed to the blackjack pit and grabbed a seat there.
The game was double-deck pitch and it began slowly, with a win-lose-lose sort of stuttering start. Then things picked up and I was suddenly up $50 or so. One big hand happened when I bet $20 and caught a pair of 8s vs. the dealer's 5. Had to split the pair and snagged another 8. So I shoved another $20 out there for a total of $60. After the dust settled on my side, I had two 19s and a 14. Dealer had 10 in the hole and slapped a 7 on top for a 22- BUST.
That $60 win really got things going and after about two hours I was up almost $200. Then things turned bad again and I dropped about $40. But in true BJ fashion, the next shoe (or fist, since the dealer was dealing two decks from her hand) was profitable and when it was over I was up $220. It's my 5th straight winning day and the LARGEST of the trip, so far!
I decided to quit there, look for some lunch and check the fb scores.
Over in the sports book they had a mini buffet of $1 hot dogs and $1 pulled pork sandwiches. I opted for the pulled pork and it was huge and tasty! The best $1 lunch I've had in a LONG time!! The sports book was buzzing. Anyone who's been in a Vegas book during NFL Sunday will know how electric the atmosphere can be with cheering erupting on every play. I was lucky to snag a seat and watch the late games, including the Dallas-Giants game. I had Dallas +2 in my teaser and felt good when they jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Then they fell apart and lost to the New Yawkers, who had lost their last 5 games...aaaargh!
Headed home after that debacle where Helen was online when I arrived. For dinner I made her a hefty salad and I opted for some of the leftover BBQ we enjoyed the night before. Ribs and chicken filled me up and there are still a couple of ribs left for munching on tonight. We'll definitely be hitting Famous Dave's BBQ when Katie arrives in February. She loves BBQ and I'm pretty sure she'll love this place.
We watched some TV, Lord of the Rings, then went to bed tired but happy. That chip cashing can really wear ya out!
Early morning weather reports warn that SNOW IS POSSIBLE today! Maybe an inch or so in the LV Valley. One noted that the last snow in LV fell a year ago yesterday. We remember it well - the locals went sort of whacky with lots of fender benders and kids making snow angels in a half-inch of white stuff. Out here they think 40 degrees is C-O-O-O-O-L-D!!!
Today I'm thinking of hitting the strip for some more poker. Maybe Planet Hollywood again or the Monte Carlo or Venetian. Each has its good/bad points. PH has newbie players, but is usually busy with tourneys. The Monte Carlo is quiet and comfortable, but often filled with tight-playing old geezer locals. The Venetian has plenty of games and comfortable tables/chairs, but also has some of the toughest players in town. Where to go, where to go?
Tune in later to see what happens in our LV adventure...
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Planet Pokerwood
Yesterday's poker session took place at Planet Hollywood, which was buzzing with cowboys in town for the National Finals Rodeo.
I drove to Bally's and parked, then hiked through Paris to the PH where I had not played poker in a few years since they relocated the poker room. A few years back the PH management moved the poker room from its own private area to the center of the casino where it's not really a room, but a roped off area with passersby all around.
Anyway, after about a 15-minute wait I got a seat at a $1-2 no limit table. It was kind of interesting because MOST of the players were VERY inexperienced.
In fact, while I was waiting a guy approached the room manager and asked about games. The manager said they had a $1-2 no limit game going and the guy asked what the 1-2 meant. The manager explained that was the size of the blinds and I was SHOCKED that this guy didn't understand what 1-2 meant and yet he was willing to play in a Vegas poker room. Unfortunately this guy didn't get a seat at my table...
After playing for about 15 minutes I could tell who the good players at my table were. There were only 3 of us who seemed to be experienced players. Within an hour I was up about $75 with no huge hands, just collecting several $15-30 pots. One BIG hand pushed me way up. Here's how it unfolded:
I was dealt J-9 of Hearts and called the $2 ante. The flop came 10h-As-8h, giving me a STRAIGHT FLUSH draw, plus a straight draw. One guy bet $15, another called and I called, leaving 3 of us in the hand. The turn card was a 7c, giving me the J-7 straight.
The first bettor, who I figured had an Ace, tossed in $25, the 2nd guy called and I quickly raised it to $75. The first guy called and the 2nd guy folded. I showed the straight and the first guy showed his A-10, a losing two pair. That healthy pot put me up about $175.
My friend Terry called and wanted some six team parlays - in fb, hockey and hoops. They both went down. As of this morning, he still has a 6-team nfl ticket that would pay $1,000 if it hits. I have a $10 fb teaser ticket from two days ago that will pay me $100. I need Titans +13, Minn ovr 43 and Cowboys +2.
Terry and Gary are thinking of coming out next month. That's always fun when they hit town!
No other big poker highlights and I was never able to get up over $200, eventually walking with a profit of $144.
To celebrate our win, I stopped at a Famous Dave's BBQ place and got a sampler platter that Helen and I really enjoyed. It was loaded with ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beans, slaw, potatoes and muffins. Will be munching on the leftovers today while watching some football as our LV adventure continues...
I drove to Bally's and parked, then hiked through Paris to the PH where I had not played poker in a few years since they relocated the poker room. A few years back the PH management moved the poker room from its own private area to the center of the casino where it's not really a room, but a roped off area with passersby all around.
Anyway, after about a 15-minute wait I got a seat at a $1-2 no limit table. It was kind of interesting because MOST of the players were VERY inexperienced.
In fact, while I was waiting a guy approached the room manager and asked about games. The manager said they had a $1-2 no limit game going and the guy asked what the 1-2 meant. The manager explained that was the size of the blinds and I was SHOCKED that this guy didn't understand what 1-2 meant and yet he was willing to play in a Vegas poker room. Unfortunately this guy didn't get a seat at my table...
After playing for about 15 minutes I could tell who the good players at my table were. There were only 3 of us who seemed to be experienced players. Within an hour I was up about $75 with no huge hands, just collecting several $15-30 pots. One BIG hand pushed me way up. Here's how it unfolded:
I was dealt J-9 of Hearts and called the $2 ante. The flop came 10h-As-8h, giving me a STRAIGHT FLUSH draw, plus a straight draw. One guy bet $15, another called and I called, leaving 3 of us in the hand. The turn card was a 7c, giving me the J-7 straight.
The first bettor, who I figured had an Ace, tossed in $25, the 2nd guy called and I quickly raised it to $75. The first guy called and the 2nd guy folded. I showed the straight and the first guy showed his A-10, a losing two pair. That healthy pot put me up about $175.
My friend Terry called and wanted some six team parlays - in fb, hockey and hoops. They both went down. As of this morning, he still has a 6-team nfl ticket that would pay $1,000 if it hits. I have a $10 fb teaser ticket from two days ago that will pay me $100. I need Titans +13, Minn ovr 43 and Cowboys +2.
Terry and Gary are thinking of coming out next month. That's always fun when they hit town!
No other big poker highlights and I was never able to get up over $200, eventually walking with a profit of $144.
To celebrate our win, I stopped at a Famous Dave's BBQ place and got a sampler platter that Helen and I really enjoyed. It was loaded with ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beans, slaw, potatoes and muffins. Will be munching on the leftovers today while watching some football as our LV adventure continues...
Friday, December 4, 2009
Poker at MGM Grand
The morning began with hot coffee, toast and a look at the Record-Eagle web site to see the snow hitting the Traverse City area. Here the Las Vegas locals are complaining how cold it is - highs only in the 50s, brrrrrr.
But I was determined to spend much of the day indoors at the MGM Grand poker room. I arrived about 9:30 a.m. and quickly got a seat at a $1-2 No Limit table. It was a pretty tight table with few raises and fewer big pots. I won the third hand I played and was up about $30 early. Then I lost a few hands, leaking chips when I'd miss the flop.
But one big hand helped. I was dealt A-5 offsuit and called the $2 blind. The flop came K-2-3 in mixed suits. A Cowboy in a black hat bet $10 and got three callers, including me. The National Finals Rodeo is in town and the place is crawling with ol' boys in Stetsons and sporting belt buckles the size of hubcaps. The turn card was a 4, giving me a straight A-5, called a Wheel.
The Cowboy bet $25 and the other two players folded. I raised him to $75, hoping he had a pair of Kings or maybe two pair. I knew by his early raise that it was unlikely he was holding 5-6 which would have given him a bigger straight. He called my raise and the river card came - a 10 which didn't seem to help him.
He bet $50 and I went all in - about $80 worth. He called and nearly spewed his Coors when I showed him the Wheel. He mucked his cards without showing, so I guessed he had Kings or maybe two pair. It was a sweet pot and the highlight of my day. I played a while longer, then had a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and left about 3 p.m. up $125.
On the way home I picked up our mail and it was ALL for Helen. She got a beautiful birthday card from Anna and a couple of books from our niece Katie. Helen was really touched by both Anna's card and Katie's thoughtful gift.
Tonight we celebrated my poker success with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - Helen's favorite BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad and I opted for a 10-piece order of their hot wings.
Now we're watching CMU play Ohio U for the MAC Championship - go Chips!!! I have CMU in a $10 7-team teaser bet that will pay me $100 when it wins. While I'm monitoring the game, Helen is on the phone thanking Katie for the books she got today. All is right with our world!
But I was determined to spend much of the day indoors at the MGM Grand poker room. I arrived about 9:30 a.m. and quickly got a seat at a $1-2 No Limit table. It was a pretty tight table with few raises and fewer big pots. I won the third hand I played and was up about $30 early. Then I lost a few hands, leaking chips when I'd miss the flop.
But one big hand helped. I was dealt A-5 offsuit and called the $2 blind. The flop came K-2-3 in mixed suits. A Cowboy in a black hat bet $10 and got three callers, including me. The National Finals Rodeo is in town and the place is crawling with ol' boys in Stetsons and sporting belt buckles the size of hubcaps. The turn card was a 4, giving me a straight A-5, called a Wheel.
The Cowboy bet $25 and the other two players folded. I raised him to $75, hoping he had a pair of Kings or maybe two pair. I knew by his early raise that it was unlikely he was holding 5-6 which would have given him a bigger straight. He called my raise and the river card came - a 10 which didn't seem to help him.
He bet $50 and I went all in - about $80 worth. He called and nearly spewed his Coors when I showed him the Wheel. He mucked his cards without showing, so I guessed he had Kings or maybe two pair. It was a sweet pot and the highlight of my day. I played a while longer, then had a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and left about 3 p.m. up $125.
On the way home I picked up our mail and it was ALL for Helen. She got a beautiful birthday card from Anna and a couple of books from our niece Katie. Helen was really touched by both Anna's card and Katie's thoughtful gift.
Tonight we celebrated my poker success with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - Helen's favorite BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad and I opted for a 10-piece order of their hot wings.
Now we're watching CMU play Ohio U for the MAC Championship - go Chips!!! I have CMU in a $10 7-team teaser bet that will pay me $100 when it wins. While I'm monitoring the game, Helen is on the phone thanking Katie for the books she got today. All is right with our world!
Sports Future Bets
For anyone interested in long-term sports wagers, here's some info I picked up from Bill's Gambling Hall yesterday. Bill's is a Harrah's property and offers the same lines as found at Caesar's Palace, Bally's, Paris, Flamingo and Harrah's.
SuperBowl
Colts 5-2, Saints and Vikings 3-1, Patriots 7-2, Chargers 8-1, Bengals 12-1, last year's SB participants Steelers and Cardinals 15-1. LIONS, Browns, Bucs and Rams are already off the board - eliminated. Longest current odds are Bears, Redskins, Chiefs, Raiders, Bills and Seahawaks at 999-1. Biggest drop from preseason - Carolina 10-1 early is now at 500-1.
NBA Championship
Lakers 6-5, Celtics and Cavs 3-1, Magic 6-1, Suns and Trailblazers 10-1, PISTONS 70-1.
NHL Stanley Cup
Penguins 7-2, Sharks and Blackhawks 4-1, RED WINGS and Capitals 6-1, Bruins, Flyers and Avalanche 12-1.
March Madness
Kansas 9-5, Kentucky 6-1, Texas 8-1, North Carolina 10-1, MSU and Syracuse 12-1, Duke and Villanova 15-1. Some perennial powerhouse hoops teams are getting big numbers - Georgetown 20-1, UConn 25-1, Wake Forest 35-1, UCLA and Memphis 50-1, MICHIGAN, Gonzaga and UNLV 75-1. Longest shots in the list are BYU and Nevada 200-1.
SuperBowl
Colts 5-2, Saints and Vikings 3-1, Patriots 7-2, Chargers 8-1, Bengals 12-1, last year's SB participants Steelers and Cardinals 15-1. LIONS, Browns, Bucs and Rams are already off the board - eliminated. Longest current odds are Bears, Redskins, Chiefs, Raiders, Bills and Seahawaks at 999-1. Biggest drop from preseason - Carolina 10-1 early is now at 500-1.
NBA Championship
Lakers 6-5, Celtics and Cavs 3-1, Magic 6-1, Suns and Trailblazers 10-1, PISTONS 70-1.
NHL Stanley Cup
Penguins 7-2, Sharks and Blackhawks 4-1, RED WINGS and Capitals 6-1, Bruins, Flyers and Avalanche 12-1.
March Madness
Kansas 9-5, Kentucky 6-1, Texas 8-1, North Carolina 10-1, MSU and Syracuse 12-1, Duke and Villanova 15-1. Some perennial powerhouse hoops teams are getting big numbers - Georgetown 20-1, UConn 25-1, Wake Forest 35-1, UCLA and Memphis 50-1, MICHIGAN, Gonzaga and UNLV 75-1. Longest shots in the list are BYU and Nevada 200-1.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Strippin' Day
Today I made my first trip to the Strip and while it was not magical, it was slightly profitable.
I parked the Vue at Bally's about 9:30 am and checked out the poker room and blackjack action. There was slow, with only one $1-2 No Limit poker game in action, but there were 3 names ahead of me on the waiting list, so I didn't hang around.
I wandered across Flamingo Ave. through Bills Gambling Hall, where I bought two $20 football tickets. One is a 3-team parlay of Bills +3.5, Florida -5.5 and Vikings -2.5. That will pay $120 when it hits. The other is a 6-team Super Teaser with Bills +9, Buff-Jets under 41, Texas -8, Saints -4, Vikings +4 and Patriots Pick Em. That one will pay $140.
After getting the ticket, I continues past the Flamingo and down to the Imperial Palace. There I got a seat at a $1-2 No Limit game and about even played for two hours or so. No big hands, just taking down small pots and waiting for good cards that never came.
Then I got a call from Helen who was having trouble ordering something online. Seems like a web site was rejecting our credit card and she wondered what the problem was. I knew there was no problem with the card and that a payment wasn't even due for another week or more. Anyway, she was upset and I was baffled about why our credit card was an issue, so I left the game and decided to head home.
But as I reached the car, I checked my phone and there was a message from Helen saying that she ordered the item by phone and that there was REALLY nothing wrong with the credit card. After getting that message, I returned to Bally's poker room where I grabbed a seat in a $3-6 limit game. I don' t really like limit poker as much as no limit, but I took the seat and in the next hour or so I won $45 before leaving.
So far I'm up $181 in two days of poker and blackjack.
On the way home I stopped at the post office and picked up a package. Niece Katie ordered some shoes about a month ago using our address and they finally arrived here in Las Vegas. Now we'll have to ship them back to her. We called her tonight to tell her about the shoes. She's getting her house cleaning business going and will be working on a client's house tomorrow morning. Katie is a hard worker and we're doing what we can to help her get this business launched.
Dinner tonight was another Middle Eastern food feast with hummus, tabouli, lebne, black olives and pita bread. Tasty and no cooking for me, since I was worn out from a long day of poker. But tonight we'll get a good night's rest and continue our adventures tomorrow...
I parked the Vue at Bally's about 9:30 am and checked out the poker room and blackjack action. There was slow, with only one $1-2 No Limit poker game in action, but there were 3 names ahead of me on the waiting list, so I didn't hang around.
I wandered across Flamingo Ave. through Bills Gambling Hall, where I bought two $20 football tickets. One is a 3-team parlay of Bills +3.5, Florida -5.5 and Vikings -2.5. That will pay $120 when it hits. The other is a 6-team Super Teaser with Bills +9, Buff-Jets under 41, Texas -8, Saints -4, Vikings +4 and Patriots Pick Em. That one will pay $140.
After getting the ticket, I continues past the Flamingo and down to the Imperial Palace. There I got a seat at a $1-2 No Limit game and about even played for two hours or so. No big hands, just taking down small pots and waiting for good cards that never came.
Then I got a call from Helen who was having trouble ordering something online. Seems like a web site was rejecting our credit card and she wondered what the problem was. I knew there was no problem with the card and that a payment wasn't even due for another week or more. Anyway, she was upset and I was baffled about why our credit card was an issue, so I left the game and decided to head home.
But as I reached the car, I checked my phone and there was a message from Helen saying that she ordered the item by phone and that there was REALLY nothing wrong with the credit card. After getting that message, I returned to Bally's poker room where I grabbed a seat in a $3-6 limit game. I don' t really like limit poker as much as no limit, but I took the seat and in the next hour or so I won $45 before leaving.
So far I'm up $181 in two days of poker and blackjack.
On the way home I stopped at the post office and picked up a package. Niece Katie ordered some shoes about a month ago using our address and they finally arrived here in Las Vegas. Now we'll have to ship them back to her. We called her tonight to tell her about the shoes. She's getting her house cleaning business going and will be working on a client's house tomorrow morning. Katie is a hard worker and we're doing what we can to help her get this business launched.
Dinner tonight was another Middle Eastern food feast with hummus, tabouli, lebne, black olives and pita bread. Tasty and no cooking for me, since I was worn out from a long day of poker. But tonight we'll get a good night's rest and continue our adventures tomorrow...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
How Do They Stay in Business?
Today I made my first gaming foray into the green felt jungle that is Las Vegas. About 9 a.m. I rolled into the Red Rock Casino to cash a sports bet that Nick Edson and I teamed up on last spring. We bet $50 each that the Detroit Tigers would win more than 80.5 games in 2009. The $100 ticket paid $174 for $87 each. That's our $50 back + $37 profit.
After getting the cash, I sat down at a $10 blackjack table and stayed for about 4 hours, eventually walking away $60 up. I also visited the poker room and picked up a couple of poker magazines to read when I had a pastrami and swiss sandwich at the food court.
Then I rolled over to visit the Suncoast, the other casino near our apt. This was a nice session, since I won the first three or four hands and was up all the way. At one time I was up just over $100, but settled for a $76 profit when it was time to head home at 5 p.m.
While I was sweating out the card games, Helen was working hard at the apt. emptying suitcases and getting the place in order. It's always surprising how much it takes to get the place organized. For dinner I built us a couple of hefty chicken salad sandwiches, with a side order of feta-olive salad and a crunchy dill pickle. Now we're just kicking back watching some TV, catching up on emails and relaxing. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
After getting the cash, I sat down at a $10 blackjack table and stayed for about 4 hours, eventually walking away $60 up. I also visited the poker room and picked up a couple of poker magazines to read when I had a pastrami and swiss sandwich at the food court.
Then I rolled over to visit the Suncoast, the other casino near our apt. This was a nice session, since I won the first three or four hands and was up all the way. At one time I was up just over $100, but settled for a $76 profit when it was time to head home at 5 p.m.
While I was sweating out the card games, Helen was working hard at the apt. emptying suitcases and getting the place in order. It's always surprising how much it takes to get the place organized. For dinner I built us a couple of hefty chicken salad sandwiches, with a side order of feta-olive salad and a crunchy dill pickle. Now we're just kicking back watching some TV, catching up on emails and relaxing. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
Early Morning Update
Just to add a few notes after yesterday's entry:
Our road trip had a few interesting aspects to it. On the drive from Katy to LV, we spent most of the first day driving through rain - sometimes a pounding, splashing deluge - across much of Texas and New Mexico. The second day, from NM to NEV was beautiful, sunny and 60s. The clear weather and light traffic made it easy to roll into town about 3 hours before I had planned, but that was great.
Yesterday's move-in was tiring but had some fun aspects. The moving guy, Mike Lynch, is a friendly, talkative guy and we have a few things in common - Mike's an avid Raiders fan - and we spent 30 minutes or more trying to analyze the Silver & Black problems. In April, just after the NFL draft (and another Raiders bad pick) Mike and his team will move our stuff from the apt. to the storage unit.
Today I'll be making my first trip to the Strip to see if the casinos there are still implementing their policy of giving FREE MONEY away to visitors. Otherwise I'll be forced to sit at a poker table and take the cash from strangers. Oh well...Check back tonight for an update on my gaming fortunes.
Our road trip had a few interesting aspects to it. On the drive from Katy to LV, we spent most of the first day driving through rain - sometimes a pounding, splashing deluge - across much of Texas and New Mexico. The second day, from NM to NEV was beautiful, sunny and 60s. The clear weather and light traffic made it easy to roll into town about 3 hours before I had planned, but that was great.
Yesterday's move-in was tiring but had some fun aspects. The moving guy, Mike Lynch, is a friendly, talkative guy and we have a few things in common - Mike's an avid Raiders fan - and we spent 30 minutes or more trying to analyze the Silver & Black problems. In April, just after the NFL draft (and another Raiders bad pick) Mike and his team will move our stuff from the apt. to the storage unit.
Today I'll be making my first trip to the Strip to see if the casinos there are still implementing their policy of giving FREE MONEY away to visitors. Otherwise I'll be forced to sit at a poker table and take the cash from strangers. Oh well...Check back tonight for an update on my gaming fortunes.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Long Trip, But We Made It
This year's journey to Las Vegas included a stop at Anna's in Katy, a suburb of Houston, for Thanksgiving. Helen and I arrived on Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday when we hit the road to LV about 5:30 a.m.
Our route took us across Texas (a 10-hour trip) and into New Mexico where we spent the night in Lordsburg at a Comfort Inn. We usually have been staying at Holiday Inn Express in our journeys, but this Comfort Inn was MUCH nicer and cost about $30 a night less than the HIEs that we've been at. We were up and on the road by about 5:30 on Monday. We drove into Arizona, through Phoenix and north toward Nevada. Along the way we passed about a dozen horse trailers heading north. I wondered where they were all headed, then Helen noted they were probably going to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Sure enough, we rolled right across Hoover Dam just ahead of the horses and arrived in LV about 2 p.m. We got our keys and I unloaded our luggage, then headed to our storage unit where I picked up our futon mattress, the TV and a few other items so we could comfortably crash in our apt.
At 7 a.m. today, I met our moving guy at the storage unit and by 10 a.m. they had moved all our belongings into our place. We began unpacking and storing things, then I headed to the grocery store to stock up to the tune of $210. I still forgot a few things and will run out in a little while to get dishwasher soap and who-knows-what.
Today is Helen's birthday, but she says she doesn't feel like going to dinner tonight. We're both tired, but we'll do that later. We'll relax at home tonight, but you can be sure that our Vegas Adventure continues...
Our route took us across Texas (a 10-hour trip) and into New Mexico where we spent the night in Lordsburg at a Comfort Inn. We usually have been staying at Holiday Inn Express in our journeys, but this Comfort Inn was MUCH nicer and cost about $30 a night less than the HIEs that we've been at. We were up and on the road by about 5:30 on Monday. We drove into Arizona, through Phoenix and north toward Nevada. Along the way we passed about a dozen horse trailers heading north. I wondered where they were all headed, then Helen noted they were probably going to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Sure enough, we rolled right across Hoover Dam just ahead of the horses and arrived in LV about 2 p.m. We got our keys and I unloaded our luggage, then headed to our storage unit where I picked up our futon mattress, the TV and a few other items so we could comfortably crash in our apt.
At 7 a.m. today, I met our moving guy at the storage unit and by 10 a.m. they had moved all our belongings into our place. We began unpacking and storing things, then I headed to the grocery store to stock up to the tune of $210. I still forgot a few things and will run out in a little while to get dishwasher soap and who-knows-what.
Today is Helen's birthday, but she says she doesn't feel like going to dinner tonight. We're both tired, but we'll do that later. We'll relax at home tonight, but you can be sure that our Vegas Adventure continues...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Catching Up After a Busy Week
It's been a week since I sat down to blog and feel there's been a lot to catch up on.
As our time winds down here in Las Vegas, we've had to get busy getting the taxes done and preparing to store our furniture and get packed for the long road trip back to Traverse City. But there's still been time for some fun.
Yesterday morning I went to the Suncoast Casino for the first time in a few days. I immediately ground out a $47 profit at blackjack and took a little break. I found a "Wizard of Oz" slot machine that had been recommended by Helen's hair stylist and I shoved a $20 into the slot. It's a penny machine, so I had 2000 credits. But playing "the max" cost $1.25 so in about 10 minutes my $20 was gone.
So I headed back to the blackjack pit and found a table with only one other player. It didn't take long to rack up a profit of $81 so I took the money and ran. A profit of $108 for the day.
Then I headed to a storage facility and reserved a 10x10 unit to store our furniture, bathroom items, kitchen stuff and more. After checking out 3 or 4 facilities, it looks like the standard cost for this size unit is about $100. This place offers one for $99, with a $10 discount for the first three months. It's a month-to-month lease and we'll be getting billed at the TC address.
After securing the unit, I called a mover to help move our items on Monday, April 27. He made us his first customers of the day and said he'd have his two-man crew here at 7:30 a.m. There's really not too much furniture, so I hope we can get everything out of here in two hours, especially since they charge $85 an hour.
For dinner last night we met up with Meghan and Eric Daigh, two of our Traverse City friends who arrived in town Monday. Meghan surprised Eric with the trip for his birthday, which was last weekend. They are staying at the Flamingo and Helen and I met them for drinks and dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Margaritaville. We had a great time talking and eating. Meghan and Eric had turkey burgers, while Helen enjoyed a taco salad and I had a delicious caribbean chicken salad.
After dinner we all walked over to Bellagio to check out the Chihully blown glass in the lobby area. It was a cold, windy walk from the Flamingo to the Bellagio. This was Eric and Meghan's first visit to the Bellagio and they really seemed impressed by the place. The Chihully glass features hundreds of colorful glass flowers hanging on the ceiling of the lobby check-in area. It's really impressive! In addition to viewing the lobby area, we walked to the hotel's conservancy area where they have hundreds and hundreds of fragrant spring flowers and flowing fountains. It was really beautiful and we enjoyed our time there.
Then we headed back toward the Flamingo. Helen and I headed to the car, which was parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, while Eric and Meghan went on to enjoy the evening. Like a lot of Vegas visitors, they had a lot they wanted to see and do, including visits to the Stratosphere, the Venetian, Palazzo, Hoover Dam and maybe Red Rock Canyon. I hope they continue to enjoy their visit.
This morning I wrote my May casino entertainment column for the Booth newspapers and sent it to them. It's one of the few writing assignments I've been working on this winter. When we get back to TC I need to crank up the freelance work and start stashing money away for next winter's trip.
Tomorrow night I'll be playing in a free blackjack tournament at the Suncoast. I heard from one pit boss that they may have up to 500 people playing in this event that features a top prize of $3,500. I'm not sure how many other prizes they offer, but it'll be fun to participate and the price is right.
On Friday, Helen is heading to California to spend a week with her brother Norm, his wife Lorraine and their children. I'll drive Helen to Baker, CA and Lorraine will meet us there for lunch and take Helen back to their home in Thousand Oaks. Then I'll head back to LV and get ready for some time with my buddy Terry who arrives from Detroit early on Sunday. We'll have plenty of fun playing cards, betting sports and just hanging out. He'll be here until Thursday.
So as you can see, it's been a busy week for us. But I'm sure our adventures will continue...
As our time winds down here in Las Vegas, we've had to get busy getting the taxes done and preparing to store our furniture and get packed for the long road trip back to Traverse City. But there's still been time for some fun.
Yesterday morning I went to the Suncoast Casino for the first time in a few days. I immediately ground out a $47 profit at blackjack and took a little break. I found a "Wizard of Oz" slot machine that had been recommended by Helen's hair stylist and I shoved a $20 into the slot. It's a penny machine, so I had 2000 credits. But playing "the max" cost $1.25 so in about 10 minutes my $20 was gone.
So I headed back to the blackjack pit and found a table with only one other player. It didn't take long to rack up a profit of $81 so I took the money and ran. A profit of $108 for the day.
Then I headed to a storage facility and reserved a 10x10 unit to store our furniture, bathroom items, kitchen stuff and more. After checking out 3 or 4 facilities, it looks like the standard cost for this size unit is about $100. This place offers one for $99, with a $10 discount for the first three months. It's a month-to-month lease and we'll be getting billed at the TC address.
After securing the unit, I called a mover to help move our items on Monday, April 27. He made us his first customers of the day and said he'd have his two-man crew here at 7:30 a.m. There's really not too much furniture, so I hope we can get everything out of here in two hours, especially since they charge $85 an hour.
For dinner last night we met up with Meghan and Eric Daigh, two of our Traverse City friends who arrived in town Monday. Meghan surprised Eric with the trip for his birthday, which was last weekend. They are staying at the Flamingo and Helen and I met them for drinks and dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Margaritaville. We had a great time talking and eating. Meghan and Eric had turkey burgers, while Helen enjoyed a taco salad and I had a delicious caribbean chicken salad.
After dinner we all walked over to Bellagio to check out the Chihully blown glass in the lobby area. It was a cold, windy walk from the Flamingo to the Bellagio. This was Eric and Meghan's first visit to the Bellagio and they really seemed impressed by the place. The Chihully glass features hundreds of colorful glass flowers hanging on the ceiling of the lobby check-in area. It's really impressive! In addition to viewing the lobby area, we walked to the hotel's conservancy area where they have hundreds and hundreds of fragrant spring flowers and flowing fountains. It was really beautiful and we enjoyed our time there.
Then we headed back toward the Flamingo. Helen and I headed to the car, which was parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, while Eric and Meghan went on to enjoy the evening. Like a lot of Vegas visitors, they had a lot they wanted to see and do, including visits to the Stratosphere, the Venetian, Palazzo, Hoover Dam and maybe Red Rock Canyon. I hope they continue to enjoy their visit.
This morning I wrote my May casino entertainment column for the Booth newspapers and sent it to them. It's one of the few writing assignments I've been working on this winter. When we get back to TC I need to crank up the freelance work and start stashing money away for next winter's trip.
Tomorrow night I'll be playing in a free blackjack tournament at the Suncoast. I heard from one pit boss that they may have up to 500 people playing in this event that features a top prize of $3,500. I'm not sure how many other prizes they offer, but it'll be fun to participate and the price is right.
On Friday, Helen is heading to California to spend a week with her brother Norm, his wife Lorraine and their children. I'll drive Helen to Baker, CA and Lorraine will meet us there for lunch and take Helen back to their home in Thousand Oaks. Then I'll head back to LV and get ready for some time with my buddy Terry who arrives from Detroit early on Sunday. We'll have plenty of fun playing cards, betting sports and just hanging out. He'll be here until Thursday.
So as you can see, it's been a busy week for us. But I'm sure our adventures will continue...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tax Time Again?
Our time is winding down here in Las Vegas and Helen attended one of her last Bible Study classes this morning.
The day began with coffee, morning TV news and a brief visit with those New Jersey entrepreneurs of Soprano Incorporated. By 9:30 or so it was time to take Helen to the church. I hurried back to our apartment where I undertook that most irritating annual chore - doing our taxes. Since we always end up writing a check to the IRS, I never file our taxes early.
It took me about an hour to do the taxes and by then it was time to pick Helen up. She wanted to pick up a few things at Wal-Mart, so we headed there for some birthday cards and other items. She also had a prescription filled. Then it was back to the apartment where I whipped up some chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
I made a quick trip to the library to return some books that were due today. It's our last visit to the library for this trip, since we'll be leaving in about 3 weeks and won't have much time for reading during that time.
No visit to a casino today. Yesterday's 4-team baseball parlay didn't turn out too well. Out of the 4 teams, three of them were losers (nice pickin' huh?). Maybe tomorrow I'll get back into the action.
I'm getting ready to prepare dinner - feta cheese omelettes along with hashbrowns with onions and peppers. Then we'll watch some TV and catch up on emails and facebook. But tomorrow our adventure will continue...
The day began with coffee, morning TV news and a brief visit with those New Jersey entrepreneurs of Soprano Incorporated. By 9:30 or so it was time to take Helen to the church. I hurried back to our apartment where I undertook that most irritating annual chore - doing our taxes. Since we always end up writing a check to the IRS, I never file our taxes early.
It took me about an hour to do the taxes and by then it was time to pick Helen up. She wanted to pick up a few things at Wal-Mart, so we headed there for some birthday cards and other items. She also had a prescription filled. Then it was back to the apartment where I whipped up some chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
I made a quick trip to the library to return some books that were due today. It's our last visit to the library for this trip, since we'll be leaving in about 3 weeks and won't have much time for reading during that time.
No visit to a casino today. Yesterday's 4-team baseball parlay didn't turn out too well. Out of the 4 teams, three of them were losers (nice pickin' huh?). Maybe tomorrow I'll get back into the action.
I'm getting ready to prepare dinner - feta cheese omelettes along with hashbrowns with onions and peppers. Then we'll watch some TV and catch up on emails and facebook. But tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Go Tigers--and Giants, Cubs, D-Backs & Dodgers!!
We're trying to recover from Monday's grim evening when the Tigers and Michigan State both embarrassed themselves.
Helen and I went down to the Venetian sports book about 3 p.m. yesterday to get a bet in on the Tigers, who started playing at 4:15 p.m. Vegas time. I decided to bet $20 on "over 7.5 runs" instead of picking a side and that turned out to be a winner. Unfortunately we also took MSU for $20 and that was a loser, so it was pretty much a wash on the sports bets.
We had a great time at the Venetian. It was Helen's first long-term (about 4.5 hours) exposure to the sports book atmosphere. Late in the MSU game, we gave it up and went to find something to eat. We settled on an Italian place in the Venetian's very nice (and pricey) food court - Italian sub sandwich for me and a grilled chicken wrap for Helen, along with two diet Pepsis for $25.
Then we strolled out the front side of the Venetian just in time for the 9 p.m. Volcano eruption across Las Vegas Blvd. at the Mirage. It was fiery and drew a big crowd along the sidewalk. We stayed near the Venetian and had a good, though distant, view of the spectacle. About 9:15 the show was over and we made our way back to the car and drove the 8 miles back to our apartment.
This morning began with coffee and an hour of visiting with Tony Soprano and his associates. At 10 a.m. I left to check out a storage unit that we'll be using for our furniture. It's about 4 miles from the apartment and we'll need a 10x10 foot unit to stash our items. Turns out to be $99 a month, with the second month free. I took an application and will return it to them in the next week or 10 days.
Then I went over to the Suncoast to try and win the first month's rent for the storage unit....no such luck. After about two hours, I was up $50 and decided to take the profit and invest it in two baseball bets - $30 on the Tigers to win and a $20 four-team parlay on the Giants, Cubs, D-Backs and Dodgers. If the parlay hits, it will pay $191 - or about two month's rent!
While I was gone, Helen finished the second nightgown for our granddaughter Katherine. One is for her birthday and the other is just because... Anyway, Helen's been working on them for weeks and is really glad to be finished. She does great work with that sewing machine of hers!
She also talked with Norman's wife Lorraine about spending time with them in Thousand Oaks. It looks like Helen will be going there sometime next week - either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - for about a week.
Now, I'm getting ready to whip up a no-fuss, no-muss dinner - chicken salad sandwiches. Helen is going to do some searching online and we'll be watching some TV tonight. But tomorrow, our adventure continues...
Helen and I went down to the Venetian sports book about 3 p.m. yesterday to get a bet in on the Tigers, who started playing at 4:15 p.m. Vegas time. I decided to bet $20 on "over 7.5 runs" instead of picking a side and that turned out to be a winner. Unfortunately we also took MSU for $20 and that was a loser, so it was pretty much a wash on the sports bets.
We had a great time at the Venetian. It was Helen's first long-term (about 4.5 hours) exposure to the sports book atmosphere. Late in the MSU game, we gave it up and went to find something to eat. We settled on an Italian place in the Venetian's very nice (and pricey) food court - Italian sub sandwich for me and a grilled chicken wrap for Helen, along with two diet Pepsis for $25.
Then we strolled out the front side of the Venetian just in time for the 9 p.m. Volcano eruption across Las Vegas Blvd. at the Mirage. It was fiery and drew a big crowd along the sidewalk. We stayed near the Venetian and had a good, though distant, view of the spectacle. About 9:15 the show was over and we made our way back to the car and drove the 8 miles back to our apartment.
This morning began with coffee and an hour of visiting with Tony Soprano and his associates. At 10 a.m. I left to check out a storage unit that we'll be using for our furniture. It's about 4 miles from the apartment and we'll need a 10x10 foot unit to stash our items. Turns out to be $99 a month, with the second month free. I took an application and will return it to them in the next week or 10 days.
Then I went over to the Suncoast to try and win the first month's rent for the storage unit....no such luck. After about two hours, I was up $50 and decided to take the profit and invest it in two baseball bets - $30 on the Tigers to win and a $20 four-team parlay on the Giants, Cubs, D-Backs and Dodgers. If the parlay hits, it will pay $191 - or about two month's rent!
While I was gone, Helen finished the second nightgown for our granddaughter Katherine. One is for her birthday and the other is just because... Anyway, Helen's been working on them for weeks and is really glad to be finished. She does great work with that sewing machine of hers!
She also talked with Norman's wife Lorraine about spending time with them in Thousand Oaks. It looks like Helen will be going there sometime next week - either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - for about a week.
Now, I'm getting ready to whip up a no-fuss, no-muss dinner - chicken salad sandwiches. Helen is going to do some searching online and we'll be watching some TV tonight. But tomorrow, our adventure continues...
Friday, April 3, 2009
Strollin' The Strip
Friday morning began with a few cups of hot coffee and the TV news.
Then about 9:30 a.m. I headed over to the apartment management office to pay the April rent. It's a little sad because it's the last monthly check I'll write for these folks until December when we return. I asked if they had any suggestions about having someone move our furniture and to locate a storage unit and they helped with both our needs. I'll be checking out their recommendations in the next week or so.
After taking care of that errand, I headed to the Strip to see if anyone was giving away money. Luckily they were. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and played at a $5 blackjack table, grinding out a $50 profit in about 30-40 minutes. Then I walked north, through the Flamingo and into O'Shea's where I again played at a $5 table. This time I was able to pile up a $55 profit in about an hour.
I was up just over $100 and it wasn't even noon yet! So I checked out the Imperial Palace and played there for about 20 minutes, dropping $60. Not good. Leaving the IP, I walked all the way to Bally's to have lunch - a chicken salad on rye - a favorite. I didn't like losing the money at the IP and tried to get it back at Bally's with no luck. I dropped another $25, leaving me only $20 up.
The day had started so promising and now it was slipping away. But I was determined to give Bill's another try. So I headed back there and found a $5 table. It was up and down for about 30 minutes and I netted $40. I switched tables, bought in for $50 and again hit a hot streak that enabled me to double my buy-in. I decided to quit and tally up my profits. When the dust settled, I had $110 more than I started the day with, including lunch...
While I was strolling along the Strip, Helen did some online work and made some phone calls to Bay Home Medical to ask about her wheelchair and static electricity. She also watched some TV and just relaxed a bit.
Dinner was another huge helping of the Italian sausage, grilled red peppers and rice. It was filling and tasty! Now we're just relaxing, watching TV and catching up on some emailing and Facebook. But tomorrow is another day and I'm sure our adventure will continue...
Then about 9:30 a.m. I headed over to the apartment management office to pay the April rent. It's a little sad because it's the last monthly check I'll write for these folks until December when we return. I asked if they had any suggestions about having someone move our furniture and to locate a storage unit and they helped with both our needs. I'll be checking out their recommendations in the next week or so.
After taking care of that errand, I headed to the Strip to see if anyone was giving away money. Luckily they were. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and played at a $5 blackjack table, grinding out a $50 profit in about 30-40 minutes. Then I walked north, through the Flamingo and into O'Shea's where I again played at a $5 table. This time I was able to pile up a $55 profit in about an hour.
I was up just over $100 and it wasn't even noon yet! So I checked out the Imperial Palace and played there for about 20 minutes, dropping $60. Not good. Leaving the IP, I walked all the way to Bally's to have lunch - a chicken salad on rye - a favorite. I didn't like losing the money at the IP and tried to get it back at Bally's with no luck. I dropped another $25, leaving me only $20 up.
The day had started so promising and now it was slipping away. But I was determined to give Bill's another try. So I headed back there and found a $5 table. It was up and down for about 30 minutes and I netted $40. I switched tables, bought in for $50 and again hit a hot streak that enabled me to double my buy-in. I decided to quit and tally up my profits. When the dust settled, I had $110 more than I started the day with, including lunch...
While I was strolling along the Strip, Helen did some online work and made some phone calls to Bay Home Medical to ask about her wheelchair and static electricity. She also watched some TV and just relaxed a bit.
Dinner was another huge helping of the Italian sausage, grilled red peppers and rice. It was filling and tasty! Now we're just relaxing, watching TV and catching up on some emailing and Facebook. But tomorrow is another day and I'm sure our adventure will continue...
Thursday, April 2, 2009
If It's Thursday, We're at Margaritaville
There's a newly-opened casino in Las Vegas, M, and today we set out to visit it.
So after a few cups of coffee and spending an hour with those zany Italian friends of Tony Soprano, Helen and I hit the road at 11 in search of this new resort. While we could have hopped on a freeway and gotten there sooner, I took the scenic route - Flamingo to the Strip, then south several miles to the M.
We scored the last handicapped parking spot and soon I was rolling Helen into the entrance marked "Casino." Her wheelchair has a problem of generating static electricity and transferring that energy to anyone doing the pushing through a series of nasty little sparks and shocks. Usually they are intermittent shocks and not too bad, but for some reason the M floor left me jolted every three or four steps! Owwww!!!
Anyway, after walking quite a ways through the resort, we found a series of escalators that take you to the 2nd floor casino. No good. No elevator. So we continued through the resort and finally found an elevator to take us to the 2nd floor - but it was shut for maintenance! The place has been open less than a month and already the elevator needs maintenance???
We decided to leave and headed out an exit, hoping to avoid the "shocking" process of retracing our steps through the resort. It was a circuitous route that took us by the pool and finally out to a street area which was blocked by two large concrete blocks. Rather than turn around and try to find our way through the maze of a resort, Helen got out of her chair and stood against one of the concrete blocks. I lifted the chair around the block, then Helen got re-seated and soon we were back in our car heading toward the Strip.
After that frustrating trip, we decided to have lunch at Margaritaville to cool off and fuel up. I parked the Vue at Bill's Gambling Hall and we rolled through the 78-degree fresh air over to the Flamingo where Margaritaville is located. We were both hungry and shared a HUGE portion of Volcano Chicken Nachos....ooooh tasty!!!
Then we drove home and relaxed for a while. We're both still pretty full from our lunch and dinner will probably be some salads...if we get hungry at all. Now we're watching some TV and catching up on some emails and Facebook. A quiet night in Las Vegas, but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
So after a few cups of coffee and spending an hour with those zany Italian friends of Tony Soprano, Helen and I hit the road at 11 in search of this new resort. While we could have hopped on a freeway and gotten there sooner, I took the scenic route - Flamingo to the Strip, then south several miles to the M.
We scored the last handicapped parking spot and soon I was rolling Helen into the entrance marked "Casino." Her wheelchair has a problem of generating static electricity and transferring that energy to anyone doing the pushing through a series of nasty little sparks and shocks. Usually they are intermittent shocks and not too bad, but for some reason the M floor left me jolted every three or four steps! Owwww!!!
Anyway, after walking quite a ways through the resort, we found a series of escalators that take you to the 2nd floor casino. No good. No elevator. So we continued through the resort and finally found an elevator to take us to the 2nd floor - but it was shut for maintenance! The place has been open less than a month and already the elevator needs maintenance???
We decided to leave and headed out an exit, hoping to avoid the "shocking" process of retracing our steps through the resort. It was a circuitous route that took us by the pool and finally out to a street area which was blocked by two large concrete blocks. Rather than turn around and try to find our way through the maze of a resort, Helen got out of her chair and stood against one of the concrete blocks. I lifted the chair around the block, then Helen got re-seated and soon we were back in our car heading toward the Strip.
After that frustrating trip, we decided to have lunch at Margaritaville to cool off and fuel up. I parked the Vue at Bill's Gambling Hall and we rolled through the 78-degree fresh air over to the Flamingo where Margaritaville is located. We were both hungry and shared a HUGE portion of Volcano Chicken Nachos....ooooh tasty!!!
Then we drove home and relaxed for a while. We're both still pretty full from our lunch and dinner will probably be some salads...if we get hungry at all. Now we're watching some TV and catching up on some emails and Facebook. A quiet night in Las Vegas, but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fools - On the Casinos, not me!
Our morning began with a few cups of coffee, the TV news and catching up on some emails and Facebook.
Wednesdays in Las Vegas have a certain rhythm to them. Helen has Bible Study at 10 a.m., so we relax until around 9:30, then head over to the church, arriving around 9:45. She goes to her class and I head over to the Suncoast for an hour or so until I return to the church to pick her up about 11:30. Today followed that familiar pattern.
When I got to the Suncoast, it was quiet with only a few blackjack tables going. I sat down at a $5 table and began to play. I made only $5 bets until I saw how things were going. It was up and down for the first 20-30 minutes. There were four of us at the table and NONE of us hit a blackjack during that time! We all commented on how rough it was, but as I checked my stack I was up $20, so not too bad despite the lack of Aces & Faces. Eventually I ground out a profit of $35 before I had to leave to pick up Helen.
Then we headed home where I fixed her a lunch of Middle Eastern fare - pita bread, hummus, Kalamata olives and Greek feta cheese. I went for a turkey on pita bread. Then Helen settled in to watch "Desperate Housewives" and sent me off to the Red Rock to see if they were giving away any money there. They were.
I played a little blackjack and a little video poker, eventually walking out with a profit of $53.
In addition, I bought a $100 ticket that my friend Nick and I will cash for $174 if the Tigers win more than 80.5 games this season. If they can just be a .500 club at 81-81 we'll be winners! Go Tigers!!!!! The only drawback is that we won't know if we've won til probably mid to late September...
It was a beautiful day today...70s and sunny with a beautiful blue sky....hard to imagine heading home to cold and snow. PLEASE get rid of that white stuff sometime during the next four weeks.
For dinner tonight I whipped up one of my new favorites - grilled Italian sausage and sauteed mushrooms and grilled red peppers over rice. Really flavorful and filling. I made a HUGE amount, so we'll probably hit it again tomorrow...
Now Helen is reading and I'm just catching up on some online bills and checking Facebook. A quiet night in the city of Neon and Free Drinks, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Wednesdays in Las Vegas have a certain rhythm to them. Helen has Bible Study at 10 a.m., so we relax until around 9:30, then head over to the church, arriving around 9:45. She goes to her class and I head over to the Suncoast for an hour or so until I return to the church to pick her up about 11:30. Today followed that familiar pattern.
When I got to the Suncoast, it was quiet with only a few blackjack tables going. I sat down at a $5 table and began to play. I made only $5 bets until I saw how things were going. It was up and down for the first 20-30 minutes. There were four of us at the table and NONE of us hit a blackjack during that time! We all commented on how rough it was, but as I checked my stack I was up $20, so not too bad despite the lack of Aces & Faces. Eventually I ground out a profit of $35 before I had to leave to pick up Helen.
Then we headed home where I fixed her a lunch of Middle Eastern fare - pita bread, hummus, Kalamata olives and Greek feta cheese. I went for a turkey on pita bread. Then Helen settled in to watch "Desperate Housewives" and sent me off to the Red Rock to see if they were giving away any money there. They were.
I played a little blackjack and a little video poker, eventually walking out with a profit of $53.
In addition, I bought a $100 ticket that my friend Nick and I will cash for $174 if the Tigers win more than 80.5 games this season. If they can just be a .500 club at 81-81 we'll be winners! Go Tigers!!!!! The only drawback is that we won't know if we've won til probably mid to late September...
It was a beautiful day today...70s and sunny with a beautiful blue sky....hard to imagine heading home to cold and snow. PLEASE get rid of that white stuff sometime during the next four weeks.
For dinner tonight I whipped up one of my new favorites - grilled Italian sausage and sauteed mushrooms and grilled red peppers over rice. Really flavorful and filling. I made a HUGE amount, so we'll probably hit it again tomorrow...
Now Helen is reading and I'm just catching up on some online bills and checking Facebook. A quiet night in the city of Neon and Free Drinks, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A Little Here, A Little There - It's All Good
This morning began with a quick trip to the local grocery store, Albertson's, for fresh fruit, flavored waters, salad fixings, napkins, paper towels and a bunch of other stuff. By 9:30 I was back home and visiting with the Original Jersey Boys, Tony Soprano and his associates.
At 10 a.m., Helen encouraged me to hit the Strip and rebound from yesterday's losing session. I really was reluctant, since I didn't want to lose again. But Helen's confidence in me made the difference. I made the 8-mile drive to the Strip and parked at Bill's Gambling Hall. My plan was to play very conservatively - $5 bets until I felt a winning streak under way. That worked immediately. I played at Bill's for about 30 minutes and walked away $76 up. A great way to start the trip!
I considered not playing any more, but it was not even noon yet and Helen didn't expect me home until 5 p.m. So I walked down to the Imperial Palace where I immediately lost $40.
My next stop was O'Shea's where I bought in for $60 and played for about 3 hours at a $5 table and went up and down, up and down. Players came and went and I hung in there. One group of players was a group of students from the University of Delaware - Blue Hens - on Spring Break.
Another guy in a cowboy hat and boots was a rancher from Calgary, Alberta. He said people saw his hat and immediately thought he was from Texas. He set 'em straight.
Eventually, I cashed out for $104 - a profit of $44 - and it was time to head home. So for the day, my profit was $76-40+44 = $80. A nice rebound from yesterday.
On the way home, I stopped by the Middle Eastern Market and picked up fresh pita bread, hummus, Greek feta cheese and Kalamata Olives. That made a tasty, no-muss-no-fuss dinner.
While I was gone, Helen did some emailing, watched TV and continued reading her mystery book.
She's still reading now, while I get this blog posted. Tomorrow is another day in Vegas, Baby, and I'm sure our adventure will continue...
At 10 a.m., Helen encouraged me to hit the Strip and rebound from yesterday's losing session. I really was reluctant, since I didn't want to lose again. But Helen's confidence in me made the difference. I made the 8-mile drive to the Strip and parked at Bill's Gambling Hall. My plan was to play very conservatively - $5 bets until I felt a winning streak under way. That worked immediately. I played at Bill's for about 30 minutes and walked away $76 up. A great way to start the trip!
I considered not playing any more, but it was not even noon yet and Helen didn't expect me home until 5 p.m. So I walked down to the Imperial Palace where I immediately lost $40.
My next stop was O'Shea's where I bought in for $60 and played for about 3 hours at a $5 table and went up and down, up and down. Players came and went and I hung in there. One group of players was a group of students from the University of Delaware - Blue Hens - on Spring Break.
Another guy in a cowboy hat and boots was a rancher from Calgary, Alberta. He said people saw his hat and immediately thought he was from Texas. He set 'em straight.
Eventually, I cashed out for $104 - a profit of $44 - and it was time to head home. So for the day, my profit was $76-40+44 = $80. A nice rebound from yesterday.
On the way home, I stopped by the Middle Eastern Market and picked up fresh pita bread, hummus, Greek feta cheese and Kalamata Olives. That made a tasty, no-muss-no-fuss dinner.
While I was gone, Helen did some emailing, watched TV and continued reading her mystery book.
She's still reading now, while I get this blog posted. Tomorrow is another day in Vegas, Baby, and I'm sure our adventure will continue...
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Temporary Setback
I had high hopes when I started out today. After all, I had two winning hoops tickets to cash (totalling $107.70) and thought it might be a good day to win at either poker or blackjack.
My first stop was the Suncoast where I had a 6-team teaser ticket worth $60. I cashed the ticket, then drove to Bally's where I parked and walked down to the Paris sports book to cash in a $47.70 ticket from MSU's win over Kansas. Then I headed into Bally's to check out the poker action. Things there were dead, so I played a little blackjack - losing $50.
So I walked over the Bill's Gambling Hall, but didn't play there. I walked down the Strip, checking the poker action at both Flamingo and Imperial Palace. Nothing looked good, so I settled in at Harrah's for some blackjack. I played at 2 different tables, losing $60 in the process. Then I realized I had left my cellphone in the car, so I hiked all the way back to Bally's to grab the phone, in case Helen had called. But she hadn't, so I pocketed the phone and went to the Nosh snack bar to grab a chicken salad on rye for lunch.
I was not happy with the way the day was going, so I decided to head to the Suncoast for some blackjack there. I'd often had some good luck there, but not today. That trip cost me another $50 and after that I headed home. The $160 setback was one of the worst of the trip and pretty disheartening. I'm still way ahead for the trip, but it still bothers me to lose that much on one day.
Tonight for dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads with organic baby greens, mushrooms, roma
tomatoes, feta cheese, corn and black beans. A quick, light meal.
While I was gone, Helen did some laundry, watched TV, did some emailing and read. Tonight we're just watching TV and relaxing...but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
My first stop was the Suncoast where I had a 6-team teaser ticket worth $60. I cashed the ticket, then drove to Bally's where I parked and walked down to the Paris sports book to cash in a $47.70 ticket from MSU's win over Kansas. Then I headed into Bally's to check out the poker action. Things there were dead, so I played a little blackjack - losing $50.
So I walked over the Bill's Gambling Hall, but didn't play there. I walked down the Strip, checking the poker action at both Flamingo and Imperial Palace. Nothing looked good, so I settled in at Harrah's for some blackjack. I played at 2 different tables, losing $60 in the process. Then I realized I had left my cellphone in the car, so I hiked all the way back to Bally's to grab the phone, in case Helen had called. But she hadn't, so I pocketed the phone and went to the Nosh snack bar to grab a chicken salad on rye for lunch.
I was not happy with the way the day was going, so I decided to head to the Suncoast for some blackjack there. I'd often had some good luck there, but not today. That trip cost me another $50 and after that I headed home. The $160 setback was one of the worst of the trip and pretty disheartening. I'm still way ahead for the trip, but it still bothers me to lose that much on one day.
Tonight for dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads with organic baby greens, mushrooms, roma
tomatoes, feta cheese, corn and black beans. A quick, light meal.
While I was gone, Helen did some laundry, watched TV, did some emailing and read. Tonight we're just watching TV and relaxing...but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sparty On!
Since I lost some money to a bunch of poker-playing touristas yesterday, I was determined to hit the Strip and recover my lost cash.
So by 9 a.m. I was pulling into the fifth floor of the parking deck at Bally's and making my way toward the poker room. It was pretty quiet and I was able to grab a seat at the only $1-2 No Limit game that was under way. I bought in for $100 and for the first 20-30 minutes I patiently waited for decent starting cards. Then I picked up a couple of small ($20-ish) pots and was able to keep my stack in the profit range.
There were really no big hands for me for the next couple of hours. I would win some small pots with a pair of Kings and a pair of Aces. Eventually, I was up $62 when I took a break to eat around 1:30 p.m. Lunch was a comped chicken salad on rye, along with a diet Pepsi. I was glad to leave the game because there were three mouthy 20-something guys who were trying to intimidate other players and even the dealers - complaining loudly when they lost, berating others for playing decent starting hands. Just being jerks. So I had no trouble taking my profit and leaving.
While killing time, I watched some action at a blackjack table where 3 players were playing. One hand stood out. A guy was routinely betting $50 to $100 and winning more than he lost. On one hand he bet $130 and got 8-8 against a dealer's 7. He split the 8s and received a 3rd 8. So now he had 3 bets of $130 each. On his next card he received ANOTHER 8!!! Four bets of $130 each. On his eights he got an Ace (for a 19) a Ten (for 18) a 5 and 7 (for 20) and a King (for 18). He made four decent hands!!
The dealer flipped over a nine in the hole, for 16. Then slapped on a 7 for a bust! The table erupted and the guy was high-fiving everyone in sight!! It was big fun to see someone win $520 on a single hand...
Then, I went to the sports book to get some hoops bets down. I put $25 on a teaser with North Carolina -3, Arizona +14 and Syracuse +6 - a loser...but I also put $25 on MSU -1 over Kansas and that was a winner.
So my profit for the day was $12 in poker and $47 in hoops bets for a total of $59. Not a bad day!
While I was gone, Helen put a lot of work in on her sewing project. She was also online emailing family. To celebrate our profit today, we ordered pizza and chicken wings from Papa John's. Tasty....
Tomorrow night we're thinking of hitting the Strip in the evening to see the Mirage volcano and the TI Pirate show - both are FREE attractions that we haven't seen yet. So it's pretty certain that our adventure will continue...
So by 9 a.m. I was pulling into the fifth floor of the parking deck at Bally's and making my way toward the poker room. It was pretty quiet and I was able to grab a seat at the only $1-2 No Limit game that was under way. I bought in for $100 and for the first 20-30 minutes I patiently waited for decent starting cards. Then I picked up a couple of small ($20-ish) pots and was able to keep my stack in the profit range.
There were really no big hands for me for the next couple of hours. I would win some small pots with a pair of Kings and a pair of Aces. Eventually, I was up $62 when I took a break to eat around 1:30 p.m. Lunch was a comped chicken salad on rye, along with a diet Pepsi. I was glad to leave the game because there were three mouthy 20-something guys who were trying to intimidate other players and even the dealers - complaining loudly when they lost, berating others for playing decent starting hands. Just being jerks. So I had no trouble taking my profit and leaving.
While killing time, I watched some action at a blackjack table where 3 players were playing. One hand stood out. A guy was routinely betting $50 to $100 and winning more than he lost. On one hand he bet $130 and got 8-8 against a dealer's 7. He split the 8s and received a 3rd 8. So now he had 3 bets of $130 each. On his next card he received ANOTHER 8!!! Four bets of $130 each. On his eights he got an Ace (for a 19) a Ten (for 18) a 5 and 7 (for 20) and a King (for 18). He made four decent hands!!
The dealer flipped over a nine in the hole, for 16. Then slapped on a 7 for a bust! The table erupted and the guy was high-fiving everyone in sight!! It was big fun to see someone win $520 on a single hand...
Then, I went to the sports book to get some hoops bets down. I put $25 on a teaser with North Carolina -3, Arizona +14 and Syracuse +6 - a loser...but I also put $25 on MSU -1 over Kansas and that was a winner.
So my profit for the day was $12 in poker and $47 in hoops bets for a total of $59. Not a bad day!
While I was gone, Helen put a lot of work in on her sewing project. She was also online emailing family. To celebrate our profit today, we ordered pizza and chicken wings from Papa John's. Tasty....
Tomorrow night we're thinking of hitting the Strip in the evening to see the Mirage volcano and the TI Pirate show - both are FREE attractions that we haven't seen yet. So it's pretty certain that our adventure will continue...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Those Tourists Took My Money!!!
I hadn't played poker in a few days, so early this morning I headed to the Strip to tangle with the tourists at the MGM Grand.
Traffic on Tropicana Blvd. was backed up as I neared the Strip. As I got closer, I could see that the usually fast-moving three lanes on Trop were narrowed down to two because of some roadwork right at the intersection of Trop and Las Vegas Blvd. Finally, I made it through the snarl and pulled into the MGM parking deck.
As I walked toward the poker room, the casino seemed a little quiet for 10 a.m. On the other hand, the poker room was a bit busy - four tables going. I signed up for a new $1-2 No Limit game that they were starting and I was able to get my lucky #1 seat. After buying in for $100, I settled in to play and had some early luck. I won a couple of small pots and was up about $30.
Unfortunately, that was my high point. I didn't get many good hands and when I did, they were second best. I had a Full House of 3 9s and 2 jacks get beaten by a Full House of 3 Jacks and 2 9s. Also, I had a nice King High flush beaten by a full house.
Despite losing my $100 buy-in, I had a good time. All the players were friendly tourist types - 3 buddies from Wisconsin playing together at the same table. One guy from London, England. and a couple of guys from Colorado. Fun, but financially a loss.
While I was gone, Helen was online with relatives and working on her sewing project. When I got home, I warmed up some Chili and that made a hearty dinner. Tonight we'll be watching the NBC Comedy shows and checking on some NCAA Hoops Games. Tomorrow night the Spartans play and we'll be rooting for MSU. Til then , our adventure continues...
Traffic on Tropicana Blvd. was backed up as I neared the Strip. As I got closer, I could see that the usually fast-moving three lanes on Trop were narrowed down to two because of some roadwork right at the intersection of Trop and Las Vegas Blvd. Finally, I made it through the snarl and pulled into the MGM parking deck.
As I walked toward the poker room, the casino seemed a little quiet for 10 a.m. On the other hand, the poker room was a bit busy - four tables going. I signed up for a new $1-2 No Limit game that they were starting and I was able to get my lucky #1 seat. After buying in for $100, I settled in to play and had some early luck. I won a couple of small pots and was up about $30.
Unfortunately, that was my high point. I didn't get many good hands and when I did, they were second best. I had a Full House of 3 9s and 2 jacks get beaten by a Full House of 3 Jacks and 2 9s. Also, I had a nice King High flush beaten by a full house.
Despite losing my $100 buy-in, I had a good time. All the players were friendly tourist types - 3 buddies from Wisconsin playing together at the same table. One guy from London, England. and a couple of guys from Colorado. Fun, but financially a loss.
While I was gone, Helen was online with relatives and working on her sewing project. When I got home, I warmed up some Chili and that made a hearty dinner. Tonight we'll be watching the NBC Comedy shows and checking on some NCAA Hoops Games. Tomorrow night the Spartans play and we'll be rooting for MSU. Til then , our adventure continues...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Night With The 'Jersey Boys'
Today began with our usual morning ritual of several cups of coffee, rye toast with strawberry preserves and catching up on the TV news.
About 9:30 I took Helen to her Bible Study Class and headed over to the Suncoast for an hour or so. I checked out the sports book and saw no intriguing wagers, so I strolled over to the blackjack pit and sat down at a $5 table. Within a few hands I was up about $30 and after about 30 minutes I was up $50 or so. But then I hit a bad run of cards and eventually walked away with a profit of $27. Not great, but still a profit.
Then I picked up Helen after her class and we returned to the apartment where I made us some turkey & muenster on pita bread sandwiches. Then she worked on her sewing project and I did some reading and facebooking.
I also got a phone call from a high school buddy, Dave Waibel, who is organizing a get together at his winter home in Arizona. His main residence is Seattle. He's invited a half dozen Taylor Center grads to meet at his place April 1-4. I originally was planning to attend, but have decided not to go. Anyway, we had a great talk and promised to stay in touch. Dave expects to retire at end of 2009 and said he may make a trip to Vegas next winter.
Last night was one of the highlights of our winter as Helen and I went to see "Jersey Boys," the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, at the Palazzo. I'm not much of a fan of musicals, but this one was OUTSTANDING!!! Not only did it have great music, but it told the story behind one of the best musical groups ever. Very interesting story and the two-hour show went by very quickly. I highly encourage music lovers to see this show...
Before the show, Helen and I played a 25-cent slot machine at the Palazzo. I put $10 in and cashed out with $15.50!! Woohooo, a winner!
We also strolled through the shopping areas of the Palazzo and over to the Venetian Shops where we watched a show of jugglers, acrobats and an opera singer. Then we enjoyed dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe at the Palazzo. It's a quality eatery run by the Cheesecake Factory and noted for large, tasty portions. Helen opted for a Southwestern Chicken Salad, while I chose a Beef Tips Sloppy Joe (instead of ground beef, they used shredded beef on a hoagie bun) with french fries. Both very good and we were too full for desserts.
Tomorrow I plan to head to the Strip for a day of poker and a couple of NCAA Tourney wagers. It's a sure bet that our adventure will continue...
About 9:30 I took Helen to her Bible Study Class and headed over to the Suncoast for an hour or so. I checked out the sports book and saw no intriguing wagers, so I strolled over to the blackjack pit and sat down at a $5 table. Within a few hands I was up about $30 and after about 30 minutes I was up $50 or so. But then I hit a bad run of cards and eventually walked away with a profit of $27. Not great, but still a profit.
Then I picked up Helen after her class and we returned to the apartment where I made us some turkey & muenster on pita bread sandwiches. Then she worked on her sewing project and I did some reading and facebooking.
I also got a phone call from a high school buddy, Dave Waibel, who is organizing a get together at his winter home in Arizona. His main residence is Seattle. He's invited a half dozen Taylor Center grads to meet at his place April 1-4. I originally was planning to attend, but have decided not to go. Anyway, we had a great talk and promised to stay in touch. Dave expects to retire at end of 2009 and said he may make a trip to Vegas next winter.
Last night was one of the highlights of our winter as Helen and I went to see "Jersey Boys," the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, at the Palazzo. I'm not much of a fan of musicals, but this one was OUTSTANDING!!! Not only did it have great music, but it told the story behind one of the best musical groups ever. Very interesting story and the two-hour show went by very quickly. I highly encourage music lovers to see this show...
Before the show, Helen and I played a 25-cent slot machine at the Palazzo. I put $10 in and cashed out with $15.50!! Woohooo, a winner!
We also strolled through the shopping areas of the Palazzo and over to the Venetian Shops where we watched a show of jugglers, acrobats and an opera singer. Then we enjoyed dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe at the Palazzo. It's a quality eatery run by the Cheesecake Factory and noted for large, tasty portions. Helen opted for a Southwestern Chicken Salad, while I chose a Beef Tips Sloppy Joe (instead of ground beef, they used shredded beef on a hoagie bun) with french fries. Both very good and we were too full for desserts.
Tomorrow I plan to head to the Strip for a day of poker and a couple of NCAA Tourney wagers. It's a sure bet that our adventure will continue...
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Day of Errands
Today was devoted to completing those daily tasks that are necessary to keep a household running.
Helen needed several things, so we rolled out to Wal-Mart at 10 a.m., but not until we savored several cups of coffee and spent an enjoyable hour with the noted philosopher/gangster Anthony Soprano.
As we rolled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, I searched in vain for a handicapped parking spot. Finally, Helen spotted one. Seems like all of the handicapped spots get taken early, I mused aloud. Helen noted that Wal-Mart seems to attract older people who often have handicapped plates.
"Older people," I wondered, "then what the heck are we doing here?"
We managed to find everything Helen needed and within an hour or so we were heading back to the apartment. I whipped up a couple of turkey-&-cheddar-on-pita-bread sandwiches and Helen prepared to spend time with those "Desperate Housewives" of Wisteria Lane. That was my cue to head to the bank to deposit a check and to visit Albertson's for some grocery shopping.
One spooky situation happened while I was shopping. I was standing in an aisle looking through the jellies & jams (trying to find one that's somewhat healthy) when suddenly two or three jars of pickles/relish fell from the shelves behind me. No one else was in the aisle, the darn things just toppled off the shelves and shattered on the floor. Glass and Gherkins everywhere! A worker was at the end of the aisle and quickly hurried over to clean it up. I have no idea why those jars fell, but it was sort of strange.
When I got home, I got caught up on some Facebook messages. Found out that there are big changes in the Booth Newspapers, including the imminent closing of the Ann Arbor News and limited publications of other papers. This is TERRIBLE news for several of my friends and former co-workers who write for Booth papers. I really hope they can all keep their jobs, but even then they may face pay cuts of up to 20 percent.
Tonight for dinner I prepared Five-Cheese Lasagna (thank you Stouffers) along with a side salad of organic baby greens, mushrooms, roma tomatoes, Greek feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Hearty and tasty!
Now we're watching some TV and relaxing, but tomorrow our adventure continues because we'll be attending the 6:30 show of "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzo on the Strip!
Helen needed several things, so we rolled out to Wal-Mart at 10 a.m., but not until we savored several cups of coffee and spent an enjoyable hour with the noted philosopher/gangster Anthony Soprano.
As we rolled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, I searched in vain for a handicapped parking spot. Finally, Helen spotted one. Seems like all of the handicapped spots get taken early, I mused aloud. Helen noted that Wal-Mart seems to attract older people who often have handicapped plates.
"Older people," I wondered, "then what the heck are we doing here?"
We managed to find everything Helen needed and within an hour or so we were heading back to the apartment. I whipped up a couple of turkey-&-cheddar-on-pita-bread sandwiches and Helen prepared to spend time with those "Desperate Housewives" of Wisteria Lane. That was my cue to head to the bank to deposit a check and to visit Albertson's for some grocery shopping.
One spooky situation happened while I was shopping. I was standing in an aisle looking through the jellies & jams (trying to find one that's somewhat healthy) when suddenly two or three jars of pickles/relish fell from the shelves behind me. No one else was in the aisle, the darn things just toppled off the shelves and shattered on the floor. Glass and Gherkins everywhere! A worker was at the end of the aisle and quickly hurried over to clean it up. I have no idea why those jars fell, but it was sort of strange.
When I got home, I got caught up on some Facebook messages. Found out that there are big changes in the Booth Newspapers, including the imminent closing of the Ann Arbor News and limited publications of other papers. This is TERRIBLE news for several of my friends and former co-workers who write for Booth papers. I really hope they can all keep their jobs, but even then they may face pay cuts of up to 20 percent.
Tonight for dinner I prepared Five-Cheese Lasagna (thank you Stouffers) along with a side salad of organic baby greens, mushrooms, roma tomatoes, Greek feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Hearty and tasty!
Now we're watching some TV and relaxing, but tomorrow our adventure continues because we'll be attending the 6:30 show of "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzo on the Strip!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March Madness Day Three
Saturday is usually a busy day at Las Vegas casinos and March Madness makes it even busier.
For the third straight day, I headed to the Suncoast's March Madness party to take in the hoops action. My $25-Running-Parlay bet on Florida State lost last night, so Helen urged me to start another parlay...my choice today was Washington -2 over Purdue...it was a loser. But I did invest in a 3-team teaser with Michigan +13, Washington +3.5 and Western Ky +16.5. The first two have won and WKU is giving Gonzaga a tight battle in the second half, so our bet is looking good. It'll pay $150 when it hits.
The March Madness party room was abuzz today, but I sat alone and it wasn't as much fun as the first two days. No one sat near me to talk with about the games. It's a great venue, but the food was still below par. I mentioned that to one of the pit bosses and he said he's heard that several times...
Talked with my friend Terry in Detroit and he's made reservations at the Excalibur for April 19-22. He'll arrive around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the 19th, and flies home at 4 p.m. on Wednesday the 22. Air fare and 3 nights at the Ex for $410. A pretty sweet deal, since the airfare alone out of Detroit was going for almost $300, according to T. It'll be good to see him.
After about 4 hours of watching hoops, I wandered down to the blackjack pit. Should have stayed at the hoops party...no luck at all and I quickly burned through my $100 buy-in. After that I sat at a slot machine near the casino bar to watch the end of the U-M game.
I headed home about 5 p.m. and we decided dinner would be takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad for Helen and Buffalo Wings & fries for me. While I was gone, Helen talked with her sister Natalie in TC. She also worked on her sewing project and watched some "Lifetime" specials on TV.
Now we're watching the Texas-Duke game and relaxing a bit, but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
For the third straight day, I headed to the Suncoast's March Madness party to take in the hoops action. My $25-Running-Parlay bet on Florida State lost last night, so Helen urged me to start another parlay...my choice today was Washington -2 over Purdue...it was a loser. But I did invest in a 3-team teaser with Michigan +13, Washington +3.5 and Western Ky +16.5. The first two have won and WKU is giving Gonzaga a tight battle in the second half, so our bet is looking good. It'll pay $150 when it hits.
The March Madness party room was abuzz today, but I sat alone and it wasn't as much fun as the first two days. No one sat near me to talk with about the games. It's a great venue, but the food was still below par. I mentioned that to one of the pit bosses and he said he's heard that several times...
Talked with my friend Terry in Detroit and he's made reservations at the Excalibur for April 19-22. He'll arrive around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, the 19th, and flies home at 4 p.m. on Wednesday the 22. Air fare and 3 nights at the Ex for $410. A pretty sweet deal, since the airfare alone out of Detroit was going for almost $300, according to T. It'll be good to see him.
After about 4 hours of watching hoops, I wandered down to the blackjack pit. Should have stayed at the hoops party...no luck at all and I quickly burned through my $100 buy-in. After that I sat at a slot machine near the casino bar to watch the end of the U-M game.
I headed home about 5 p.m. and we decided dinner would be takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad for Helen and Buffalo Wings & fries for me. While I was gone, Helen talked with her sister Natalie in TC. She also worked on her sewing project and watched some "Lifetime" specials on TV.
Now we're watching the Texas-Duke game and relaxing a bit, but tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Friday, March 20, 2009
March Madness Day Two
NCAA Hoops games kicked off shortly after 9 a.m. today, so I headed over to the Suncoast around 8:45.
Like yesterday, I headed right for the March Madness Party in the casino's second story ballroom. It was already hopping, with guys settling in for a full day of hoops viewing, eating, drinking, beer pong, free throw shooting, Wii basketball and wagering. Big fun for boys of all ages...
Starting with a $25 bet, I've been parlaying One-Bet-A-Day and today we bet $120 on the Florida State Seminoles -2.5 vs. Wisconsin. If they win tonight, the ticket will pay $229 and we'll be looking for a "SURE THING" for tomorrow's games...or we may take a chunk of profit and start over with $25 or $50.
During the early games, even the young guys didn't start drinking beer and I went to the buffet area to grab a coffee. I thought the coffee might be free, but they were charging $2 for a small styrofoam cup of java...way overpriced! The whole food selection and pricing, as I said in yesterday's blog, is too high for what the casino bills as a "March Madness Party." They should be offering 50-cent hotdogs, free soft drinks, free coffee, $1 sliders. Instead its $1 hotdogs (ironically down in the sports book they have a cart that sells them for 75 cents), $2 sliders, $2 coffee, $2 soft drinks and - if you don't have a drink ticket - $6 beers.
Anyway, between early games, I played a little blackjack and won $15 which went toward the hoops bet. After the later games, I played bj for another hour or so, dropping $40. That was my loss total for the day.
While I was at the 'Coast, Helen worked on her sewing project, watched some TV and finished the murder mystery she was reading. When I got home, I pulled together some of last night's spaghetti and a hefty side salad with organic baby greens, mushrooms, Greek feta cheese and roma tomatoes. I think we both ate too much...
Soon we'll be turning on the Florida State-Wisconsin game to track the fate of our live parlay wager....GO 'NOLES!!!!
Even if we lose, tomorrow our Las Vegas adventure continues...
Like yesterday, I headed right for the March Madness Party in the casino's second story ballroom. It was already hopping, with guys settling in for a full day of hoops viewing, eating, drinking, beer pong, free throw shooting, Wii basketball and wagering. Big fun for boys of all ages...
Starting with a $25 bet, I've been parlaying One-Bet-A-Day and today we bet $120 on the Florida State Seminoles -2.5 vs. Wisconsin. If they win tonight, the ticket will pay $229 and we'll be looking for a "SURE THING" for tomorrow's games...or we may take a chunk of profit and start over with $25 or $50.
During the early games, even the young guys didn't start drinking beer and I went to the buffet area to grab a coffee. I thought the coffee might be free, but they were charging $2 for a small styrofoam cup of java...way overpriced! The whole food selection and pricing, as I said in yesterday's blog, is too high for what the casino bills as a "March Madness Party." They should be offering 50-cent hotdogs, free soft drinks, free coffee, $1 sliders. Instead its $1 hotdogs (ironically down in the sports book they have a cart that sells them for 75 cents), $2 sliders, $2 coffee, $2 soft drinks and - if you don't have a drink ticket - $6 beers.
Anyway, between early games, I played a little blackjack and won $15 which went toward the hoops bet. After the later games, I played bj for another hour or so, dropping $40. That was my loss total for the day.
While I was at the 'Coast, Helen worked on her sewing project, watched some TV and finished the murder mystery she was reading. When I got home, I pulled together some of last night's spaghetti and a hefty side salad with organic baby greens, mushrooms, Greek feta cheese and roma tomatoes. I think we both ate too much...
Soon we'll be turning on the Florida State-Wisconsin game to track the fate of our live parlay wager....GO 'NOLES!!!!
Even if we lose, tomorrow our Las Vegas adventure continues...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March Madness Day One
Las Vegas is abuzz with March Madness betting, parties and zaniness.
Since the first hoops games tip off at 9:20 a.m. or so, I headed over to the Suncoast about 8:30. The casino was hosting a March Madness party in one of the ballrooms, complete with several big-screen TVs, a buffet line, cheap beer and mixed drinks and on-site betting stations. It was really a convenient setup and I enjoyed watching the early games there.
The only complaint I had was about the food. You had to purchase food tickets, then cash them in for the food, which was a little pricey for something like this. They had hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos, chicken nuggets, pizza and sliders. I opted for the sliders (two to an order) and the run-of-the-mill nachos, similar to an order you'd get at a ballpark. That was $7.
I'm trying a new way of betting all of these games. Instead of throwing money all over the place, I'm focusing on one game per day and just betting that single game. For example, today's $25 bet was Texas - a winner that will return $47.70. So tomorrow, I'll take that $47.70 and put it all on one game. The plan is to keep parlaying winners until I run up a huge amount or chicken out and take down some profits, LOL!
If we win tomorrow, we'll have roughly $95 to put on a Saturday game, then $190 or so to put on a Sunday game....we'll see how this works out...
It was rough going at the blackjack tables. I went down over $100 before turning it around and finally grinding out a $16 profit. Between bj sessions, I played a little video poker and cashed out $22.50 after buying in for $20. So for the day, we're up $18.50.
I headed home about 4 p.m. and watched some more hoops at the apartment. While I was gone, Helen worked on her sewing project, talked to his sister Natalie, and did some reading. Tonight I whipped up a nice dinner, spaghetti with roasted red peppers. Now Helen is reading and I'm just catching up with some emails, etc. I boldly predict that within the hour, we'll be enjoying some butter pecan ice cream.
Lots more March Madness to come, so I know our adventure will continue...
After spending about two hours in the ballroom, I headed to the blackjack tables.
Since the first hoops games tip off at 9:20 a.m. or so, I headed over to the Suncoast about 8:30. The casino was hosting a March Madness party in one of the ballrooms, complete with several big-screen TVs, a buffet line, cheap beer and mixed drinks and on-site betting stations. It was really a convenient setup and I enjoyed watching the early games there.
The only complaint I had was about the food. You had to purchase food tickets, then cash them in for the food, which was a little pricey for something like this. They had hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos, chicken nuggets, pizza and sliders. I opted for the sliders (two to an order) and the run-of-the-mill nachos, similar to an order you'd get at a ballpark. That was $7.
I'm trying a new way of betting all of these games. Instead of throwing money all over the place, I'm focusing on one game per day and just betting that single game. For example, today's $25 bet was Texas - a winner that will return $47.70. So tomorrow, I'll take that $47.70 and put it all on one game. The plan is to keep parlaying winners until I run up a huge amount or chicken out and take down some profits, LOL!
If we win tomorrow, we'll have roughly $95 to put on a Saturday game, then $190 or so to put on a Sunday game....we'll see how this works out...
It was rough going at the blackjack tables. I went down over $100 before turning it around and finally grinding out a $16 profit. Between bj sessions, I played a little video poker and cashed out $22.50 after buying in for $20. So for the day, we're up $18.50.
I headed home about 4 p.m. and watched some more hoops at the apartment. While I was gone, Helen worked on her sewing project, talked to his sister Natalie, and did some reading. Tonight I whipped up a nice dinner, spaghetti with roasted red peppers. Now Helen is reading and I'm just catching up with some emails, etc. I boldly predict that within the hour, we'll be enjoying some butter pecan ice cream.
Lots more March Madness to come, so I know our adventure will continue...
After spending about two hours in the ballroom, I headed to the blackjack tables.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A Minor Setback
Every Wednesday means Bible Study Class for Helen and a quick one-hour blackjack session at the Suncoast for me.
My blackjack effort didn't work out very well. Despite all good intentions, I dropped $35 in the hour. I also bought a $25 ticket on Texas -4 vs. Minnesota in tomorrow's NCAA Tourney. Hook 'Em Horns!!
At 11:30 I returned to the church to pick up Helen and we headed home for lunch - chicken salad on pita bread. Then it was time for Helen to see what was happening with those Wild Women of Wisteria Lane - my cue to head to Red Rock Casino and cash my winning hoops ticket from yesterday that pays $72.
On my way, I stopped by the library to return some books.
While at the Red Rock, I played some blackjack and had one of the worst sessions in recent weeks. I lost three $50 buy-ins - $150 gone in about an hour... So I returned to the Suncoast for one last shot at blackjack. I had about 90 minutes to turn a profit and it worked out very well. I ground out a $145 profit, so for the day I ended up minus $40. A pretty minor setback in light of my recent successes.
Tomorrow morning the Hoops Fun starts at 8 a.m. at the Suncoast. They have a huge ballroom with big screen TVs, remote betting stations, free food and cheap drinks. It'll be a great place to watch the games and I'll be over there early. The first game starts about 9:30 a.m. What a great day it could be!
While I was gone, Helen was napping and watching TV. When I got home, we decided dinner would be from Del Taco, a Mexican fast food place that we like. I had their "Macho Burrito" and Helen opted for the "Del Combo Burrito." It was tasty. Dessert was some butter pecan ice cream, topped with an organic jam of passion fruit, bananas and pineapple - Goooood!
Now we're watching "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" and relaxing. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
My blackjack effort didn't work out very well. Despite all good intentions, I dropped $35 in the hour. I also bought a $25 ticket on Texas -4 vs. Minnesota in tomorrow's NCAA Tourney. Hook 'Em Horns!!
At 11:30 I returned to the church to pick up Helen and we headed home for lunch - chicken salad on pita bread. Then it was time for Helen to see what was happening with those Wild Women of Wisteria Lane - my cue to head to Red Rock Casino and cash my winning hoops ticket from yesterday that pays $72.
On my way, I stopped by the library to return some books.
While at the Red Rock, I played some blackjack and had one of the worst sessions in recent weeks. I lost three $50 buy-ins - $150 gone in about an hour... So I returned to the Suncoast for one last shot at blackjack. I had about 90 minutes to turn a profit and it worked out very well. I ground out a $145 profit, so for the day I ended up minus $40. A pretty minor setback in light of my recent successes.
Tomorrow morning the Hoops Fun starts at 8 a.m. at the Suncoast. They have a huge ballroom with big screen TVs, remote betting stations, free food and cheap drinks. It'll be a great place to watch the games and I'll be over there early. The first game starts about 9:30 a.m. What a great day it could be!
While I was gone, Helen was napping and watching TV. When I got home, we decided dinner would be from Del Taco, a Mexican fast food place that we like. I had their "Macho Burrito" and Helen opted for the "Del Combo Burrito." It was tasty. Dessert was some butter pecan ice cream, topped with an organic jam of passion fruit, bananas and pineapple - Goooood!
Now we're watching "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" and relaxing. But tomorrow our adventure continues...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Rockin' at Red Rock
Our morning started with several cups of black coffee and watching TV news gab about how "Everybody's Irish" today. Enough of that drivel, let's go do something!
So Helen and I headed out the door about 10 a.m. to visit Jo-Ann Fabrics where she wanted to buy some lace trim, ribbon and other items for the two nightgowns she is making for granddaughter Katherine. It's about 10 miles from the apartment. That trip took about 90 minutes and by the time we got home lunch was high on our agenda. I whipped up chicken salad sandwiches for us. Helen settled in to watch her two-hour block of "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m.
That was my clue to head over to the Red Rock casino to check out the sports book and blackjack action. I settled in at a $10 table and went up and down and down and down, then up and up and up. Eventually I walked with a profit of $125. But before I left, I bought a $20 hoops 4-team money line parlay ticket. Here's how it stands now - Oakland a win, Penn State a win, Notre Dame leading by 3 in the second half, Kentucky leading by 17 in the second half. It will pay $72.65 when it hits...
We enjoyed a dinner of Middle Eastern fare - hummus, tabouli, pita bread, lebne and Greek feta cheese. Same as yesterday, but still very tasty.
Right now we're reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
So Helen and I headed out the door about 10 a.m. to visit Jo-Ann Fabrics where she wanted to buy some lace trim, ribbon and other items for the two nightgowns she is making for granddaughter Katherine. It's about 10 miles from the apartment. That trip took about 90 minutes and by the time we got home lunch was high on our agenda. I whipped up chicken salad sandwiches for us. Helen settled in to watch her two-hour block of "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m.
That was my clue to head over to the Red Rock casino to check out the sports book and blackjack action. I settled in at a $10 table and went up and down and down and down, then up and up and up. Eventually I walked with a profit of $125. But before I left, I bought a $20 hoops 4-team money line parlay ticket. Here's how it stands now - Oakland a win, Penn State a win, Notre Dame leading by 3 in the second half, Kentucky leading by 17 in the second half. It will pay $72.65 when it hits...
We enjoyed a dinner of Middle Eastern fare - hummus, tabouli, pita bread, lebne and Greek feta cheese. Same as yesterday, but still very tasty.
Right now we're reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Poker at MGM & a Weekend Update
Our Monday morning began with a few cups of coffee and me compiling my monthly Casino Entertainment column for the Booth papers. Then I drove to the MGM Grand to play some poker.
I arrived at the MGM at 10 a.m. and immediately got seated in a $1-2 No Limit game. I won a couple of hands early, then lost a couple of big hands when my flush got beaten on the river by a full house. Soon, I had lost my $100 buy-in and decided to buy in for another $100. For several hours I was up and down, up and down.
Shortly after 4 p.m. came a hand that decided my fate for the entire session. I was dealt K-7 of Diamonds and called a $4 bet, along with 2 other guys. The flop came K-7 of Clubs and 10 of Diamonds. Since I had two pair and didn't want to allow someone to get a club flush cheaply, I bet $60 into a pot of about $30. After some thinking, one guy shoves his last $73 into the pot and the next guy calls the bet. I also call the extra $13. Then the turn card, a Q of Hearts, comes. One guy is already all in and the other guy checks, so I check too - hoping my two pair is still good. I was a little worried that one of these guys might have 10-10 for trips. Finally, the river card comes - 7 of spades- giving me a full house.
But I'm still worried about the 10s, so I check and so does the other guy. I take down a $200-plus pot. One guy had A-K, while the other had A-J for a straight. Three hands later, I cashed out with a profit of $190, all from the last hand. I played really well today and lost a couple of nice pots on the river. Overall a great session.
When I got home, we had a Middle Eastern dinner of hummus, tabouli, lebne, Greek olives and pita bread.
Helen hasn't been feeling well the past few days and spent much of the day relaxing and planning her sewing project. Tomorrow we're heading to Jo-Ann Fabrics to get some lace and trim for the nightgown she's making for Katherine.
Sunday, for the first time in a couple of months, we did not go to church. Helen was feeling so lousy Saturday night that she decided to cancel our usual 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. She did make a few phone calls, read and watched some TV.
About 11 a.m. I went to the Suncoast to check out the hoops games and play a little blackjack. In about 3 hours, I posted a profit of $160.
On Saturday, I spent the day on the Strip watching hoops games. I placed two bets - MSU under the total of 127 (a loser) and NC under 174 (a winner) - so a push on those. I also won $40 playing blackjack...not great, but still a win. My buddy Terry had me play a couple of hockey parlays for him - both lost.
To celebrate our slight profit, Helen and I ordered Cheesecake Factory takeout - a huge Chicken Tostada Salad for her and a Big Five pizza for me. Also two slabs of tasty cheesecake for dessert!!
The weather has been so beautiful the past few days. It hit the mid-70s today and we're planning on checking out the pool area tomorrow if it's not too hot for Helen. The complex has new patio furniture and has completely refurbished the pool area. So it's quite likely that our adventure will continue...
I arrived at the MGM at 10 a.m. and immediately got seated in a $1-2 No Limit game. I won a couple of hands early, then lost a couple of big hands when my flush got beaten on the river by a full house. Soon, I had lost my $100 buy-in and decided to buy in for another $100. For several hours I was up and down, up and down.
Shortly after 4 p.m. came a hand that decided my fate for the entire session. I was dealt K-7 of Diamonds and called a $4 bet, along with 2 other guys. The flop came K-7 of Clubs and 10 of Diamonds. Since I had two pair and didn't want to allow someone to get a club flush cheaply, I bet $60 into a pot of about $30. After some thinking, one guy shoves his last $73 into the pot and the next guy calls the bet. I also call the extra $13. Then the turn card, a Q of Hearts, comes. One guy is already all in and the other guy checks, so I check too - hoping my two pair is still good. I was a little worried that one of these guys might have 10-10 for trips. Finally, the river card comes - 7 of spades- giving me a full house.
But I'm still worried about the 10s, so I check and so does the other guy. I take down a $200-plus pot. One guy had A-K, while the other had A-J for a straight. Three hands later, I cashed out with a profit of $190, all from the last hand. I played really well today and lost a couple of nice pots on the river. Overall a great session.
When I got home, we had a Middle Eastern dinner of hummus, tabouli, lebne, Greek olives and pita bread.
Helen hasn't been feeling well the past few days and spent much of the day relaxing and planning her sewing project. Tomorrow we're heading to Jo-Ann Fabrics to get some lace and trim for the nightgown she's making for Katherine.
Sunday, for the first time in a couple of months, we did not go to church. Helen was feeling so lousy Saturday night that she decided to cancel our usual 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. She did make a few phone calls, read and watched some TV.
About 11 a.m. I went to the Suncoast to check out the hoops games and play a little blackjack. In about 3 hours, I posted a profit of $160.
On Saturday, I spent the day on the Strip watching hoops games. I placed two bets - MSU under the total of 127 (a loser) and NC under 174 (a winner) - so a push on those. I also won $40 playing blackjack...not great, but still a win. My buddy Terry had me play a couple of hockey parlays for him - both lost.
To celebrate our slight profit, Helen and I ordered Cheesecake Factory takeout - a huge Chicken Tostada Salad for her and a Big Five pizza for me. Also two slabs of tasty cheesecake for dessert!!
The weather has been so beautiful the past few days. It hit the mid-70s today and we're planning on checking out the pool area tomorrow if it's not too hot for Helen. The complex has new patio furniture and has completely refurbished the pool area. So it's quite likely that our adventure will continue...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Interesting Baseball Bets at the LV Hilton
While I was at the LV Hilton yesterday, I picked up some info on their vast array of bets available for the upcoming MLB season. Here are a few Over/Under Team Win Totals:
Tigers 81.5
Yankees 95.5
Bosox 92.5
Braves 83.5
Cubs 90.5
Mets 89.5
They also offer Individual Performance Bets on players, such as Over/Under pitcher wins:
Josh Beckett 14.5
CC Sabathia 15.5
Jair Jurrjens 12.5
Johan Santana 16.5
No Tigers Listed
Hits Over/Under
Ichiro 203.5
Grady Sizemore 171.5
David Wright 180.5
Josh Hamilton 167.5
No Tigers Listed
Home Runs Over/Under
Miguel Cabrera 33.5
A Rod 35.5
Prince Fielder 35.5
Ryan Howard 43.5
Albert Pujols 34.5
Manny Ramirez 31.5
Odds to Win the HR Title
Ryan Howard 3-1
A Rod 7-1
CABRERA, Pujols, Longoria 12-1
Teixeira 20-1
M. Ramirez 40-1
Carlos Pena, G. Sizemore 75-1
Fun reading as we get ready for the upcoming season...
Tigers 81.5
Yankees 95.5
Bosox 92.5
Braves 83.5
Cubs 90.5
Mets 89.5
They also offer Individual Performance Bets on players, such as Over/Under pitcher wins:
Josh Beckett 14.5
CC Sabathia 15.5
Jair Jurrjens 12.5
Johan Santana 16.5
No Tigers Listed
Hits Over/Under
Ichiro 203.5
Grady Sizemore 171.5
David Wright 180.5
Josh Hamilton 167.5
No Tigers Listed
Home Runs Over/Under
Miguel Cabrera 33.5
A Rod 35.5
Prince Fielder 35.5
Ryan Howard 43.5
Albert Pujols 34.5
Manny Ramirez 31.5
Odds to Win the HR Title
Ryan Howard 3-1
A Rod 7-1
CABRERA, Pujols, Longoria 12-1
Teixeira 20-1
M. Ramirez 40-1
Carlos Pena, G. Sizemore 75-1
Fun reading as we get ready for the upcoming season...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday the 13th - Just Another Payday!
Friday the 13th held no special bad luck for me today.
I downed a couple of cups of black coffee and hit the road early, because I wanted to get a $50 bet down on Michigan State. The game started at noon EST, which is 9 a.m. here in the Land of Neon & Free Drinks, so I was out the door shortly after 8 to hit the Suncoast. Got the bet and headed down to the Strip.
My first stop was the Las Vegas Hilton where they have the largest sports book in the world. It's a huge room filled with big screen TVs and betting boards. I put $50 on LSU to beat Kentucky and another $50 on Florida State to whip up on Georgia Tech. It was great watching the games in the atmosphere of a huge sports book. Guys are whooping and hollering on key plays and the electricity is palpable. When the games ended, I won the MSU bet and the LSU bet, but lost on Fla. State.
Lunch at the Hilton was a Cuban sandwich, a tasty grilled pork and ham sandwich on special Cuban bread with cheese and a crunchy pickle. It's grilled on the flat Cuban bread, sort of like a panini. That and a diet Pepsi was about $10.
Then I headed over to the Wynn, just to check out a casino that I hadn't been in for awhile. When the Wynn first opened, I stopped in with my friend Terry to check it out. I have no special memories of the place, except it's high-toned, similar to the Bellagio, one of my favorites on the Strip. But for some reason, I just don't get the same feeling about Wynn.
I walked around the place and played some video poker, but didn't play blackjack. After about an hour, I headed back to the Suncoast to cash the MSU ticket. Before I went into the SC, I checked my finances and found I was down $15 for the day. So I hit the blackjack table and ground out a profit of $110. I picked 6 hoops games and played a $10 parlay that would pay $410, but Wake Forest broke our heart early.
When the dust settled, I was up $85 for the day. Not great, but still a nice day - a winning day and lots of fun watching the hoops games.
While I was gone, Helen spent the day working on her sewing project. She pinned and cut out the fabric for a nightgown for our granddaughter Katherine. Helen also talked with Lisa for a short time.
I got home around 4:30 and relaxed for a while before whipping up a couple of hefty salads - organic mixed greens, red onions, Greek feta cheese, kalamata olives, and roma tomatoes. Now we're watching some TV and wondering what adventures tomorrow will bring...
I downed a couple of cups of black coffee and hit the road early, because I wanted to get a $50 bet down on Michigan State. The game started at noon EST, which is 9 a.m. here in the Land of Neon & Free Drinks, so I was out the door shortly after 8 to hit the Suncoast. Got the bet and headed down to the Strip.
My first stop was the Las Vegas Hilton where they have the largest sports book in the world. It's a huge room filled with big screen TVs and betting boards. I put $50 on LSU to beat Kentucky and another $50 on Florida State to whip up on Georgia Tech. It was great watching the games in the atmosphere of a huge sports book. Guys are whooping and hollering on key plays and the electricity is palpable. When the games ended, I won the MSU bet and the LSU bet, but lost on Fla. State.
Lunch at the Hilton was a Cuban sandwich, a tasty grilled pork and ham sandwich on special Cuban bread with cheese and a crunchy pickle. It's grilled on the flat Cuban bread, sort of like a panini. That and a diet Pepsi was about $10.
Then I headed over to the Wynn, just to check out a casino that I hadn't been in for awhile. When the Wynn first opened, I stopped in with my friend Terry to check it out. I have no special memories of the place, except it's high-toned, similar to the Bellagio, one of my favorites on the Strip. But for some reason, I just don't get the same feeling about Wynn.
I walked around the place and played some video poker, but didn't play blackjack. After about an hour, I headed back to the Suncoast to cash the MSU ticket. Before I went into the SC, I checked my finances and found I was down $15 for the day. So I hit the blackjack table and ground out a profit of $110. I picked 6 hoops games and played a $10 parlay that would pay $410, but Wake Forest broke our heart early.
When the dust settled, I was up $85 for the day. Not great, but still a nice day - a winning day and lots of fun watching the hoops games.
While I was gone, Helen spent the day working on her sewing project. She pinned and cut out the fabric for a nightgown for our granddaughter Katherine. Helen also talked with Lisa for a short time.
I got home around 4:30 and relaxed for a while before whipping up a couple of hefty salads - organic mixed greens, red onions, Greek feta cheese, kalamata olives, and roma tomatoes. Now we're watching some TV and wondering what adventures tomorrow will bring...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
First Big Slot Win!
Early this morning I headed down to the MGM Grand, hoping to play poker.
But there was only a single game going, so I signed up to play at a second table if they got enough players. In the meantime, I found a 25-cent Haywire slot machine to kill some time. I shoved in a $20 and began to play. After a few minutes I hit a Double Logo - 7 -Double Logo and the credits started ringing up 50, 100, 200,400, 600.... finally 640 credits ($160) later it stopped! I cashed out at $175 for a cool profit of $155.
I checked the poker room and still no second game going, so I took down my name and went to the sports book where the basketball tournament games were under way. I put $50 on Michigan -5 over Iowa and made an easy profit when the Wolverines got out to a 20-point halftime lead and won by 28. I watched the whole game and parts of some others before deciding to head home.
But on the way home, I pulled into the Palace Station, which is on Sahara Ave. just west of the Strip. It's owned by the same company that runs the Red Rock Casino near our apt. Anyway, this was my first visit to PS and I played some $5 blackjack, racking up a profit of $80 in about 45 minutes. I decided to call it a day and head home.
Today's profit was $155+$50+80 = $285.
While I was out, Helen began working on her sewing project. She cut out the pattern in preparation to begin cutting the fabric. She read a bit, watched some TV and took a nap.
When I got home, I whipped up some scrambled eggs and hash browns for dinner. Sort of a breakfast dinner thing...
We just got a call from Scott, who has taken a sales rep job with a medical waste disposal company, InServe (sp?). It's a great relief that he's landed the gig, since he's been out of work for almost six months. He went to interview after interview and was doggedly persistent in pursuit of another job. We've VERY proud of him and his tenacity.
Now we're watching TV, relaxing and thinking about what tomorrow's adventures will bring...
But there was only a single game going, so I signed up to play at a second table if they got enough players. In the meantime, I found a 25-cent Haywire slot machine to kill some time. I shoved in a $20 and began to play. After a few minutes I hit a Double Logo - 7 -Double Logo and the credits started ringing up 50, 100, 200,400, 600.... finally 640 credits ($160) later it stopped! I cashed out at $175 for a cool profit of $155.
I checked the poker room and still no second game going, so I took down my name and went to the sports book where the basketball tournament games were under way. I put $50 on Michigan -5 over Iowa and made an easy profit when the Wolverines got out to a 20-point halftime lead and won by 28. I watched the whole game and parts of some others before deciding to head home.
But on the way home, I pulled into the Palace Station, which is on Sahara Ave. just west of the Strip. It's owned by the same company that runs the Red Rock Casino near our apt. Anyway, this was my first visit to PS and I played some $5 blackjack, racking up a profit of $80 in about 45 minutes. I decided to call it a day and head home.
Today's profit was $155+$50+80 = $285.
While I was out, Helen began working on her sewing project. She cut out the pattern in preparation to begin cutting the fabric. She read a bit, watched some TV and took a nap.
When I got home, I whipped up some scrambled eggs and hash browns for dinner. Sort of a breakfast dinner thing...
We just got a call from Scott, who has taken a sales rep job with a medical waste disposal company, InServe (sp?). It's a great relief that he's landed the gig, since he's been out of work for almost six months. He went to interview after interview and was doggedly persistent in pursuit of another job. We've VERY proud of him and his tenacity.
Now we're watching TV, relaxing and thinking about what tomorrow's adventures will bring...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Rooting for My Hoops Wager
This morning started with several cups of coffee, the morning TV news and me actually writing an article. I did a 600-word feature on Cheryl and Bob Icard, two TC residents who are starting a new business "Bob's West Bay Pate'. The article will appear in the April issue of the TC Business News. I wrote it between 6 and 7:30 this morning and sent it off to the editor, Gayle Neu.
Technology makes it all possible.
Then we watched a little of "The Sopranos" before heading out the door. Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Helen goes to a Bible Study class at the Lakes Lutheran Church, so I drop her off about 9:45 and head over to the Suncoast Casino for an hour or so. I played a little blackjack, winning only $5 and also won $7 on a 25-cent blackjack video game. Then I left to pick up Helen.
I arrived back at the church at 11:20 and began reading a book I brought, "Everything They Had." It's an outstanding collection of sports-related essays and columns by the noted author David Halberstam. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good quality writing. His unique perspective and his love for sports, especially baseball, is compelling and enjoyable. Every baseball fan should read about "MyDinner With Theodore (Williams)" and "Why Men Love Baseball."
After Helen's class, we headed over to Wal-Mart where she picked up some fabric and other sewing items for a project she's going to begin. She's making two nightgowns for our granddaughter, Katherine.
Then we returned home where I made us a couple of hefty turkey, cheddar and lettuce on pita bread sandwiches. Helen settled in to watch "Desperate Housewives" while I went over to the Red Rock to see if they were giving away money. Nope, not today. Two hours later, I left down $35.
But I do have a $20 5-team hoops teaser bet that will pay $100. My teams are Marquette (already a winner) West Virginia -1 (crushing Notre Dame by 18 as I write this), plus the Utah Jazz +6, the NY Knicks +11 (against the Pistons) and the Lakers +6. GO JAZZ, KNICKS & LAKERS!!
For dinner tonight, we recycled Helen's Chicken BBQ Salad and my Chicken, Mushroom pizza. We also have two huge chunks of cheesecake to snack on in a couple of hours, LOL!
Now we're watching TV and reading, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Technology makes it all possible.
Then we watched a little of "The Sopranos" before heading out the door. Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Helen goes to a Bible Study class at the Lakes Lutheran Church, so I drop her off about 9:45 and head over to the Suncoast Casino for an hour or so. I played a little blackjack, winning only $5 and also won $7 on a 25-cent blackjack video game. Then I left to pick up Helen.
I arrived back at the church at 11:20 and began reading a book I brought, "Everything They Had." It's an outstanding collection of sports-related essays and columns by the noted author David Halberstam. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good quality writing. His unique perspective and his love for sports, especially baseball, is compelling and enjoyable. Every baseball fan should read about "MyDinner With Theodore (Williams)" and "Why Men Love Baseball."
After Helen's class, we headed over to Wal-Mart where she picked up some fabric and other sewing items for a project she's going to begin. She's making two nightgowns for our granddaughter, Katherine.
Then we returned home where I made us a couple of hefty turkey, cheddar and lettuce on pita bread sandwiches. Helen settled in to watch "Desperate Housewives" while I went over to the Red Rock to see if they were giving away money. Nope, not today. Two hours later, I left down $35.
But I do have a $20 5-team hoops teaser bet that will pay $100. My teams are Marquette (already a winner) West Virginia -1 (crushing Notre Dame by 18 as I write this), plus the Utah Jazz +6, the NY Knicks +11 (against the Pistons) and the Lakers +6. GO JAZZ, KNICKS & LAKERS!!
For dinner tonight, we recycled Helen's Chicken BBQ Salad and my Chicken, Mushroom pizza. We also have two huge chunks of cheesecake to snack on in a couple of hours, LOL!
Now we're watching TV and reading, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Show Tickets and So Much More!
Tuesday morning began, as usual, with a few cups of coffee, the morning TV news and a quick perusal of the online newspapers. Not much going on in the world, it seems.
Helen urged me to go out and earn some money, so I headed down to the Strip. On the way, I was undecided about where, and what games, to play. I parked at Bally's and checked out the poker room where I just didn't like the vibe. There were a few seedy looking guys playing poker and I didn't like the feel of the game, so I went over to Bill's, which was really quiet for 9:30 a.m.
So I headed thru the Flamingo and eventually into Harrah's where I finally sat down to a $5 blackjack game. In about an hour, I ground out a $140 profit and decided to walk. My next stop was the Venetian, where I didn't play at all, but did enjoy a tasty chicken salad sandwich and diet Pepsi.
Helen had talked about wanting to see "Jersey Boys" and at the Venetian, I saw signs advertising the show at the V's sister resort, Palazzo. After searching for a few minutes, I found the ticket booth and bought us two aisle-seat tickets ($103 each) for two weeks from tonight, March 24.
While there, I got the idea that maybe I could win enough at bj to cover the cost of the tickets, so I found a $10 table and began to play. It started slowly, but eventually I was up $100, then $150, then $180 and finally, after about an hour, I was up $240 - time to walk! But before I left, I put $30 into the Megabucks Machine (the jackpot is now $18.5 million) and left when I ran it up to $36 - a $6 profit!
I was really pleased and decided to head back to Bally's, get into the car and head home. After huffing and puffing during the lengthy walk back, I sat down in Bally's and just relaxed for a bit. Then, for some reason, I decided to waddle over to Paris and play just one more bj session. It paid off. I bought in for $100 at a $10 table and within about 45 minutes had run it up to $260.
NOW it was time to head home.
For the 3 blackjack sessions, I won $140 + $240+$160 = $540...what a great day!
While I was gone, Helen was trying to straighten out a billing issue with Charter Communications. What a terrible company that is! She also spent some time reading and watching TV.
When I got home, Helen and I decided to celebrate with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad for her and a Chicken, Mushroom pizza for me. We had a coupon for a free slab of cheesecake, so we ordered another one too - a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle and a Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake - OOOOH Baby!
Tomorrow we're planning to hit Wal-Mart because Helen wants to start a sewing project and she needs to pick up a pattern there. Visiting Wal-Mart almost guarantees that some sort of adventure will continue...
Helen urged me to go out and earn some money, so I headed down to the Strip. On the way, I was undecided about where, and what games, to play. I parked at Bally's and checked out the poker room where I just didn't like the vibe. There were a few seedy looking guys playing poker and I didn't like the feel of the game, so I went over to Bill's, which was really quiet for 9:30 a.m.
So I headed thru the Flamingo and eventually into Harrah's where I finally sat down to a $5 blackjack game. In about an hour, I ground out a $140 profit and decided to walk. My next stop was the Venetian, where I didn't play at all, but did enjoy a tasty chicken salad sandwich and diet Pepsi.
Helen had talked about wanting to see "Jersey Boys" and at the Venetian, I saw signs advertising the show at the V's sister resort, Palazzo. After searching for a few minutes, I found the ticket booth and bought us two aisle-seat tickets ($103 each) for two weeks from tonight, March 24.
While there, I got the idea that maybe I could win enough at bj to cover the cost of the tickets, so I found a $10 table and began to play. It started slowly, but eventually I was up $100, then $150, then $180 and finally, after about an hour, I was up $240 - time to walk! But before I left, I put $30 into the Megabucks Machine (the jackpot is now $18.5 million) and left when I ran it up to $36 - a $6 profit!
I was really pleased and decided to head back to Bally's, get into the car and head home. After huffing and puffing during the lengthy walk back, I sat down in Bally's and just relaxed for a bit. Then, for some reason, I decided to waddle over to Paris and play just one more bj session. It paid off. I bought in for $100 at a $10 table and within about 45 minutes had run it up to $260.
NOW it was time to head home.
For the 3 blackjack sessions, I won $140 + $240+$160 = $540...what a great day!
While I was gone, Helen was trying to straighten out a billing issue with Charter Communications. What a terrible company that is! She also spent some time reading and watching TV.
When I got home, Helen and I decided to celebrate with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory - BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad for her and a Chicken, Mushroom pizza for me. We had a coupon for a free slab of cheesecake, so we ordered another one too - a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle and a Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake - OOOOH Baby!
Tomorrow we're planning to hit Wal-Mart because Helen wants to start a sewing project and she needs to pick up a pattern there. Visiting Wal-Mart almost guarantees that some sort of adventure will continue...
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Suncoast Gets Burned
This morning, like most of my mornings, began with a ritual of several cups of steamy coffee while reading the Freep, News, Review-Journal, Mlive and Record-Eagle online. We had the Today Show on TV, until 9 a.m. when we got our daily dose of "The Sopranos."
At noon I did a telephone interview with Cheryl and Bob Icard, who are launching Bob's West Bay Pate', a new company that makes salmon and whitefish pate. I'll be writing the article this week for the April issue of the TC Business News. It's the first writing assignment I've in about 3 weeks, since I did my last monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth papers. It was great talking with the Icards and finished the interview in about 30 minutes. The article only needs to be about 600 words long, so a longer interview was not really needed.
By 12:30 it was time for lunch, so I made us some roasted turkey & cheddar sandwiches in pita bread. By this time, Helen had already begun watching "Desperate Housewives" and was on the phone with her friend Gail when I decided to head over to the Suncoast Casino for a blackjack session.
While I was gone, Helen also spoke with her brother Norman and Anna.
I got to the Suncoast at 1 p.m. and didn't immediately see an open seat at a $5 table. The $25 tables were empty and the $5 tables were jammed. Why not turn one of the four vacant $25 tables into a $5 and get some players going? Sometimes it seems like casinos just don't make good economic sense...
While waiting for an open seat, I sat at a 25-cent video blackjack machine and quickly turned $20 into $30.50 - a $10.50 profit.
Then I checked the bj situation and found a table with only 3 other players. I grabbed a seat and immediately started winning. In about 20 minutes, I had $110 profit in front of me and decided to take the money and walk. After cashing in, I checked the sports book, but there were very few hoops games today. I did consider two NBA bets - the Pistons and New Orleans - but didn't pull the trigger.
On the way out, I tried a 10-cent poker machine and slipped in $10. On the first hand, I hit a full house and won $2.50. Even though it was the first hand, I decided to cash out and take the profit. So in less than an hour, I walked out of the Suncoast with $10.50 + $110 + $2.50 - a profit of $123. I don't know how they stay in business...
For dinner tonight, I prepared a fresh sauteed mushrooms in alfredo sauce over penne pasta. Hearty and filling! Now we're just relaxing and reading. A quiet night in Las Vegas, but tomorrow out adventure continues...
At noon I did a telephone interview with Cheryl and Bob Icard, who are launching Bob's West Bay Pate', a new company that makes salmon and whitefish pate. I'll be writing the article this week for the April issue of the TC Business News. It's the first writing assignment I've in about 3 weeks, since I did my last monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth papers. It was great talking with the Icards and finished the interview in about 30 minutes. The article only needs to be about 600 words long, so a longer interview was not really needed.
By 12:30 it was time for lunch, so I made us some roasted turkey & cheddar sandwiches in pita bread. By this time, Helen had already begun watching "Desperate Housewives" and was on the phone with her friend Gail when I decided to head over to the Suncoast Casino for a blackjack session.
While I was gone, Helen also spoke with her brother Norman and Anna.
I got to the Suncoast at 1 p.m. and didn't immediately see an open seat at a $5 table. The $25 tables were empty and the $5 tables were jammed. Why not turn one of the four vacant $25 tables into a $5 and get some players going? Sometimes it seems like casinos just don't make good economic sense...
While waiting for an open seat, I sat at a 25-cent video blackjack machine and quickly turned $20 into $30.50 - a $10.50 profit.
Then I checked the bj situation and found a table with only 3 other players. I grabbed a seat and immediately started winning. In about 20 minutes, I had $110 profit in front of me and decided to take the money and walk. After cashing in, I checked the sports book, but there were very few hoops games today. I did consider two NBA bets - the Pistons and New Orleans - but didn't pull the trigger.
On the way out, I tried a 10-cent poker machine and slipped in $10. On the first hand, I hit a full house and won $2.50. Even though it was the first hand, I decided to cash out and take the profit. So in less than an hour, I walked out of the Suncoast with $10.50 + $110 + $2.50 - a profit of $123. I don't know how they stay in business...
For dinner tonight, I prepared a fresh sauteed mushrooms in alfredo sauce over penne pasta. Hearty and filling! Now we're just relaxing and reading. A quiet night in Las Vegas, but tomorrow out adventure continues...
Meeting the Daughter of the Ex-Lions' QB
Our Sunday began in a typical quiet fashion, with an 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church.
Because of the time change, both Helen and I were moving a bit slowly. After church Helen sent me down to the Strip to see if any of the casinos were giving away money and, surprisingly, some of them were.
I parked at Bally's and checked the poker room, but found nothing interesting there and a line of 6 names ahead of me. So I crossed Flamingo and strolled into Bill's Gambling Hall where I won $25 playing blackjack. At the same table was a young couple from Grand Rapids who were here for a 4-day trip. The young guy was pretty surprised that I was here for five months and didn't think he could possibly "do Vegas" for that long. While at Bill's I also made a $30 hoops bet - NC and Duke to score under 165 points. That was a winner for $27 + $30.
Then I walked down through the Imperial Palace and into Harrah's where I sat down alone at a $5 table. The dealer, Heather, did the usual chitchat about "where are you from?" and I told her Michigan. She asked if I had grown up there and I said yes.
"Maybe you've heard of my Dad," she said. "He was a quarterback for the Lions back in the '60s."
"Oh really, what's his name."
"Karl Sweetan."
Of course, I had heard of Karl Sweetan. Right away I told her I best remembered him for a 99-yard TD pass to Pat Studstill.
She explained that her Dad later played for the Rams, then in Canada and finally ended up back in Las Vegas as a dealer himself. He died young, at 57, of heart troubles. She's followed in his footsteps in the gaming industry. She seemed sort of sad and mentioned that she really didn't have anything from her Dad's FB career, except one football card. Her older brother, who she doesn't speak with, got the other stuff and eventually sold it, she said.
Anyway, I ended up losing $100 at Harrah's and said goodbye to the Ex-Lions' QB's daughter.
I continued my trek to the Venetian where I played bj and won back the $100, finishing the day with a profit of $25 from blackjack and $27 from my hoops wager. A fun, interesting day on the Strip.
While I was strolling the Strip, Helen was on the phone with Natalie, watching TV and reading. I got home about 4:30 and made us a five-cheese lasagna dinner (thanks Stouffers!) with a salad. Very tasty.
Today our adventure continues...
Because of the time change, both Helen and I were moving a bit slowly. After church Helen sent me down to the Strip to see if any of the casinos were giving away money and, surprisingly, some of them were.
I parked at Bally's and checked the poker room, but found nothing interesting there and a line of 6 names ahead of me. So I crossed Flamingo and strolled into Bill's Gambling Hall where I won $25 playing blackjack. At the same table was a young couple from Grand Rapids who were here for a 4-day trip. The young guy was pretty surprised that I was here for five months and didn't think he could possibly "do Vegas" for that long. While at Bill's I also made a $30 hoops bet - NC and Duke to score under 165 points. That was a winner for $27 + $30.
Then I walked down through the Imperial Palace and into Harrah's where I sat down alone at a $5 table. The dealer, Heather, did the usual chitchat about "where are you from?" and I told her Michigan. She asked if I had grown up there and I said yes.
"Maybe you've heard of my Dad," she said. "He was a quarterback for the Lions back in the '60s."
"Oh really, what's his name."
"Karl Sweetan."
Of course, I had heard of Karl Sweetan. Right away I told her I best remembered him for a 99-yard TD pass to Pat Studstill.
She explained that her Dad later played for the Rams, then in Canada and finally ended up back in Las Vegas as a dealer himself. He died young, at 57, of heart troubles. She's followed in his footsteps in the gaming industry. She seemed sort of sad and mentioned that she really didn't have anything from her Dad's FB career, except one football card. Her older brother, who she doesn't speak with, got the other stuff and eventually sold it, she said.
Anyway, I ended up losing $100 at Harrah's and said goodbye to the Ex-Lions' QB's daughter.
I continued my trek to the Venetian where I played bj and won back the $100, finishing the day with a profit of $25 from blackjack and $27 from my hoops wager. A fun, interesting day on the Strip.
While I was strolling the Strip, Helen was on the phone with Natalie, watching TV and reading. I got home about 4:30 and made us a five-cheese lasagna dinner (thanks Stouffers!) with a salad. Very tasty.
Today our adventure continues...
Saturday, March 7, 2009
How Do These Joints Stay in Business?
Saturday morning started about 8 a.m. with me heading over to Albertson's to pick up some groceries, including salad fixings, flavored water, fruit, yogurt, pasta and other items.
By 9:15 or so, I was home unloading the groceries and wondering which casino to visit today. I targeted Bally's, since I haven't had much luck in the MGM poker room in the past two days. So I drove to Bally's and checked out the poker room. It was busy, with a waiting list of 7 names ahead of mine, so I wandered over to a $10 blackjack table and began to play.
The first couple of shoes was up and down. No real profit or loss. There was one other guy playing at the table with me and we were both staying even. Then the cards turned in our favor. We both started winning and the dealer started busting for us. Eventually, I pressed my bets up to $15, then $20, then $25 a hand. One key hand happened when I bet $25 and I was dealt a pair of 3s to the dealer's 6. The proper play here is to split the 3s and hopefully catch a 6-7-8 to double down. Instead I got another 3, so eventually I ended up with 3 hands (13, 13 and 14) with $25 bet on each. Luckily the dealer had a 10 in the hole and slapped an 8 on top for the Bust - $75 in one sweet hand!
Another fun hand happened when I bet $25 and received two Aces - against the dealer's 7. I split the Aces (at $25 each) and received two face cards for a $50 hand!
I quickly tallied my profit and walked away with $325, vowing not to give any of it back today. So I wandered to the Paris sports book and made two hoops bets for myself, winning one and losing one. I also made some bets for my friend Terry, who wanted a 6-team hockey parlay and a bet on Mark Martin in tomorrow's Nascar Race. Good Luck on those, T!
While I was at Bally's, Helen was on the phone with her sister Natalie. She also did some reading and watched some TV.
We just finished dinner - two hefty salads with organic mixed greens, roma tomatoes, Greek feta cheese, and avocados. Now we're relaxing in front of the TV and wondering what our next adventures will be...
By 9:15 or so, I was home unloading the groceries and wondering which casino to visit today. I targeted Bally's, since I haven't had much luck in the MGM poker room in the past two days. So I drove to Bally's and checked out the poker room. It was busy, with a waiting list of 7 names ahead of mine, so I wandered over to a $10 blackjack table and began to play.
The first couple of shoes was up and down. No real profit or loss. There was one other guy playing at the table with me and we were both staying even. Then the cards turned in our favor. We both started winning and the dealer started busting for us. Eventually, I pressed my bets up to $15, then $20, then $25 a hand. One key hand happened when I bet $25 and I was dealt a pair of 3s to the dealer's 6. The proper play here is to split the 3s and hopefully catch a 6-7-8 to double down. Instead I got another 3, so eventually I ended up with 3 hands (13, 13 and 14) with $25 bet on each. Luckily the dealer had a 10 in the hole and slapped an 8 on top for the Bust - $75 in one sweet hand!
Another fun hand happened when I bet $25 and received two Aces - against the dealer's 7. I split the Aces (at $25 each) and received two face cards for a $50 hand!
I quickly tallied my profit and walked away with $325, vowing not to give any of it back today. So I wandered to the Paris sports book and made two hoops bets for myself, winning one and losing one. I also made some bets for my friend Terry, who wanted a 6-team hockey parlay and a bet on Mark Martin in tomorrow's Nascar Race. Good Luck on those, T!
While I was at Bally's, Helen was on the phone with her sister Natalie. She also did some reading and watched some TV.
We just finished dinner - two hefty salads with organic mixed greens, roma tomatoes, Greek feta cheese, and avocados. Now we're relaxing in front of the TV and wondering what our next adventures will be...
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