Today I felt like playing some poker, so I rolled over to the Suncoast casino around 9:30 a.m.
The Suncoast hosts a daily No-Limit tournament at 10 a.m. and many of the players hanging around the poker room were there for that action. I wasn't interested in the tourney and asked about a $1-2 No Limit cash game and was told they wouldn't have one til the evening.
Instead they offered a $4-8 Limit game, so I took a seat there. Luckily I found a seat in one of my favorite spots - the 6 seat - right across from the dealer. It's easy to see the flop from the 4-7 seats and I always feel comfortable in one of them.
I bought in for $100 and in my first hand I looked down to find A-A. SWEET! But I ended up losing half of my stack when some old guy (older than me, even) made two pair on the river...AAARGH. That's how it went for a while. I'd win a few pots and lose a few. At least with Limit poker, there's no danger of losing your whole stack in a single bad bet. The wagering is done in increments of $4 (on the opening round and flop) and $8 on the turn and river.
The table was full of SENIOR citizens. I was one of the four youngest guys there. There was one guy in his 20s, two in the 40-50 range and the rest were, I swear, at least 70. But they could play some poker! Two of them were older women, very lucky too. One of the women hit 4 10s, not once, but twice. In addition to winning both hands, she won a $50 bonus for each quads...
Anyway, I played all day, right through lunch. About 4:45 p.m. I was ready to leave and decided to play one more trip around the table. I was down around $50 and ready to leave a loser when with two hands to go, I was dealt A-K of clubs. I raised from $4 to $8 and all dropped out except a guy sitting to my right. The flop came 4-K-J. I bet, he raised, I called. The turn was an A. We both bet and raised. The river was a 7. I bet my two pair, he called, then showed an A-J and grumbled when I turned my A-K...SWEET POT!
That hand turned me from a $50 loser to a $26 winner. I looked at one more hand that I folded and cashed in my chips. It was really a fun day.
While I was grinding out a poker profit, Helen was wrapping up several Valentine's gifts for the grandkids. I'll be taking them to the post office next week. It'll be mid-February before ya know it. She did a little reading and watched a little TV, too.
Dinner was a tasty portion of leftover italian sausage and rice.
Helen is already anticipating the arrival of her friend Gail on Feb. 16. They'll be doing some shopping, lunching and who knows what else. It's Gail's first trip to Las Vegas, so we'll show her the sites, LOL!
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Trip to M&M World
Today's tasks took me over to Target early to pick up a few things that we needed.
Contrary to some urban legends, Vegas is not a 24-hour town in a lot of respects. For example, the local Target doesn't open until 8 a.m. So I got over there around 8:45 a.m. and it was a great time to pick up the few things we needed.
My next task was to head down to the Strip - not specifically for gambling - but to pick up some Valentine's Day gifts for the grandchildren. Helen sent me to the ABC Store inside the Miracle Mile shopping mall at Planet Hollywood to get some chocolates. I parked at PH and walked quickly thru the mall to the ABC store and got the chocolates, then headed back to the parking structure. Didn't wager even a nickel at PH. I wanted to get all my shopping done first.
She also asked me to stop at M&M World and pick up a dispenser of M&Ms. So I drove from PH to MGM Grand and walked a short distance on the Strip to M&M World. That place is amazing!! It's four stories full of M&M stuff, ranging from candies to coffee cups to keychains. There's even a video about M&Ms and a walk-thru feature that explains how the candies are made. Whether you like plain or peanut, there's plenty of M&Ms for you to enjoy, LOL.
I took all of the purchases to the car and then settled in for some poker at MGM. There were two open seats at a $1-2 No Limit table and I picked one. Should have taken the other... For the first 20 minutes, I threw away my cards without playing. No pairs, no Aces...really card dead. Then I won a small pot when my K-Q paired a K on the flop. But I really had no luck and slowly lost my $100 buy-in.
I needed a break from poker so I walked to the MGM Sports Book to see what type of odds they had on the SuperBowl. Nothing stood out there. But I sat there, drank a coffee and relaxed for a while.
I left MGM and took a walk down the Strip, just sight seeing. It was a beautiful day, sunny and in the low 60s with a little wind. I walked south to the Tropicana, which is looking shabbier and shabbier. Seems like it will be a good candidate to be the next implosion, but with the economy as slow as it is it may be quite a while before another big casino gets built.
Eventually I decided to head back to MGM where I sat down at a Deuces Wild video poker machine to both rest a while and to try my luck. I slid in a $20 and was winning and losing when I hit 5 Fives (3 5s and 2 2s) for a nice payoff. I played a few hands and cashed out $40 - doubling my buy-in.
So between the poker and the machine, I ended up losing $80 today.
Helen just finished wrapping some Valentine's Day gifts and is now talking on the phone with her friend Gail. In a few minutes I'll pull together some dinner - a Middle East fare with hummus, tabouli, lebne, pita bread and kalamata olives.
Excitement is starting to build for the SuperBowl. Because of legal requirements, all of the casinos have to refer to it as "The Big Game" and not the SB. I'm still trying to decide exactly where to watch the game. I'm sure I'll be on the Strip where, as we like to say, the adventure continues...
Contrary to some urban legends, Vegas is not a 24-hour town in a lot of respects. For example, the local Target doesn't open until 8 a.m. So I got over there around 8:45 a.m. and it was a great time to pick up the few things we needed.
My next task was to head down to the Strip - not specifically for gambling - but to pick up some Valentine's Day gifts for the grandchildren. Helen sent me to the ABC Store inside the Miracle Mile shopping mall at Planet Hollywood to get some chocolates. I parked at PH and walked quickly thru the mall to the ABC store and got the chocolates, then headed back to the parking structure. Didn't wager even a nickel at PH. I wanted to get all my shopping done first.
She also asked me to stop at M&M World and pick up a dispenser of M&Ms. So I drove from PH to MGM Grand and walked a short distance on the Strip to M&M World. That place is amazing!! It's four stories full of M&M stuff, ranging from candies to coffee cups to keychains. There's even a video about M&Ms and a walk-thru feature that explains how the candies are made. Whether you like plain or peanut, there's plenty of M&Ms for you to enjoy, LOL.
I took all of the purchases to the car and then settled in for some poker at MGM. There were two open seats at a $1-2 No Limit table and I picked one. Should have taken the other... For the first 20 minutes, I threw away my cards without playing. No pairs, no Aces...really card dead. Then I won a small pot when my K-Q paired a K on the flop. But I really had no luck and slowly lost my $100 buy-in.
I needed a break from poker so I walked to the MGM Sports Book to see what type of odds they had on the SuperBowl. Nothing stood out there. But I sat there, drank a coffee and relaxed for a while.
I left MGM and took a walk down the Strip, just sight seeing. It was a beautiful day, sunny and in the low 60s with a little wind. I walked south to the Tropicana, which is looking shabbier and shabbier. Seems like it will be a good candidate to be the next implosion, but with the economy as slow as it is it may be quite a while before another big casino gets built.
Eventually I decided to head back to MGM where I sat down at a Deuces Wild video poker machine to both rest a while and to try my luck. I slid in a $20 and was winning and losing when I hit 5 Fives (3 5s and 2 2s) for a nice payoff. I played a few hands and cashed out $40 - doubling my buy-in.
So between the poker and the machine, I ended up losing $80 today.
Helen just finished wrapping some Valentine's Day gifts and is now talking on the phone with her friend Gail. In a few minutes I'll pull together some dinner - a Middle East fare with hummus, tabouli, lebne, pita bread and kalamata olives.
Excitement is starting to build for the SuperBowl. Because of legal requirements, all of the casinos have to refer to it as "The Big Game" and not the SB. I'm still trying to decide exactly where to watch the game. I'm sure I'll be on the Strip where, as we like to say, the adventure continues...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Win Some, Lose Some
This morning started with a flurry when Helen called the Walgreen's pharmacy to check on why she hadn't received an order of her prescription meds.
A Walgreen's worker told Helen that the company had UPSed her order to our Traverse City address and that it had been arrived on Jan. 20. Every other order from them had been sent via US Postal Service and automatically forwarded to us here in Las Vegas. For some reason, this shipment got sent via UPS and was, hopefully, sitting in Traverse City.
Helen was really upset at the situation. She called her friend Gail and asked her to stop by the condo and see if the meds were left on the porch. Gail promised to stop by after work and check for the meds.
In the meantime, I took Helen off to her Wednesday morning Bible Class which meets from 10 a.m. to 11:30. I dropped her off and headed over to the Suncoast for a brief blackjack session. In about an hour, I built a profit of $65. I also picked up three $20 SuperBowl "prop" tickets --The Shortest TD of the Game over 1.5 yds (pays $41), the 1st Score of the Game Will Not Be a TD (pays $52), and Larry Fitzgerald Will Catch More than 6.5 Passes ($45).
I also picked up a 4-team basketball parlay that, unfortunately lost.
By 11:20, I was back at the church to pick Helen up from her Bible Study. Back home I whipped up some sandwiches for lunch, turkey on pita for Helen and chicken salad on pita for me. Then while Helen immersed herself in "Desperate Housewives" for two hours, I headed over to the Red Rock casino to test the bj waters there. That didn't work out too well. I ended up dropping $70 before heading home at 4 p.m.
While I was gone, Helen got a call from Gail, who had found the meds on our front porch and promised to send them in the next few days. It really put Helen's mind at ease to know her meds were on their way.
Tonight's dinner was quite a production, Italian sausage with grilled red peppers, mushrooms and onions over rice. I sauteed the peppers, mushrooms and onions, along with a dash of oregano, salt and black pepper. The sausage was browned in a pan, then sliced into medallions and blended into the rice, peppers, mushrooms and onions. This is the first time I'd tried this recipe, which was inspired by something I saw on the Food Channel weeks ago. It was hearty and tasty and I was pleased by how it turned out.
For dessert, Helen and I enjoyed a few of the Ghiradelli chocolate squares that I brought home from the Strip yesterday. Now Helen is cleaning the kitchen and I'm here reliving our day on the blog. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
A Walgreen's worker told Helen that the company had UPSed her order to our Traverse City address and that it had been arrived on Jan. 20. Every other order from them had been sent via US Postal Service and automatically forwarded to us here in Las Vegas. For some reason, this shipment got sent via UPS and was, hopefully, sitting in Traverse City.
Helen was really upset at the situation. She called her friend Gail and asked her to stop by the condo and see if the meds were left on the porch. Gail promised to stop by after work and check for the meds.
In the meantime, I took Helen off to her Wednesday morning Bible Class which meets from 10 a.m. to 11:30. I dropped her off and headed over to the Suncoast for a brief blackjack session. In about an hour, I built a profit of $65. I also picked up three $20 SuperBowl "prop" tickets --The Shortest TD of the Game over 1.5 yds (pays $41), the 1st Score of the Game Will Not Be a TD (pays $52), and Larry Fitzgerald Will Catch More than 6.5 Passes ($45).
I also picked up a 4-team basketball parlay that, unfortunately lost.
By 11:20, I was back at the church to pick Helen up from her Bible Study. Back home I whipped up some sandwiches for lunch, turkey on pita for Helen and chicken salad on pita for me. Then while Helen immersed herself in "Desperate Housewives" for two hours, I headed over to the Red Rock casino to test the bj waters there. That didn't work out too well. I ended up dropping $70 before heading home at 4 p.m.
While I was gone, Helen got a call from Gail, who had found the meds on our front porch and promised to send them in the next few days. It really put Helen's mind at ease to know her meds were on their way.
Tonight's dinner was quite a production, Italian sausage with grilled red peppers, mushrooms and onions over rice. I sauteed the peppers, mushrooms and onions, along with a dash of oregano, salt and black pepper. The sausage was browned in a pan, then sliced into medallions and blended into the rice, peppers, mushrooms and onions. This is the first time I'd tried this recipe, which was inspired by something I saw on the Food Channel weeks ago. It was hearty and tasty and I was pleased by how it turned out.
For dessert, Helen and I enjoyed a few of the Ghiradelli chocolate squares that I brought home from the Strip yesterday. Now Helen is cleaning the kitchen and I'm here reliving our day on the blog. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
How Do They Stay in Business? Oh, That's How...
After running errands on Monday, I was ready to test my luck in blackjack or poker today.
I got an early start and by 9 a.m. I was parking the Vue at Bally's. Nothing happening there, so I walked over to Bill's Gambling Hall where I played some blackjack and won $40 in about 15 minutes.
Playing at Bill's reminded me of a story that a dealer told me last week at the Suncoast. Before dealing at the Suncoast, she was a dealer at the old Barbary Coast. She was talking about all the celebrities she had dealt to, including many NBA players. One of her favorites, she said, was Dan Majerle, who was playing for the Phoenix Suns at the time. I told her I was from Majerle's home town and she said her favorite Majerle memory was when he took a flying leap over a PaiGow Poker table to get to the men's room, LOL. She still remembers his long legs clearing that green-felted table, she said! Ah, good times!!
Leaving Bill's, I walked through the Flamingo and into O'Shea's a small casino. They only had 2 bj tables going and they were both filled. I was walking out when I spotted a 25-cent Haywire slot machine. This is one of our favorites, so I shoved a $10 bill into it and began to play. After a few plays, the machine went Haywire, wheels all spinning. It wasn't a huge payoff, but I doubled my buy-in and walked $10 up. So far a profit of $50 for the day.
I strolled past the Imperial Palace and into Harrah's. No play at the H, but I did check out Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar," up on the second floor. Helen's friend Gail is coming in three weeks and she's a country music fan. Thought this might be a good place for a meal during her visit. Today I ordered their buffalo wings and a Coors Light. It took a long time for the wings to arrive, but when they did it was worth it...there must have been a dozen of those tasty delights. I couldnt eat them all, leaving one. It was pricey - $6 for the beer and $10.95 for the wings - but it was research...
My next stop was the Venetian, where I toyed with the idea of playing some poker. But the room there was jammed and there was a waiting list of 6 names. The V is one of the finest, if not THE finest - poker rooms in town. I settled into a bj table and bought in for $100. There was an Asian guy playing at 1st base, while I was at 3rd base. After about 3-4 hands, I saw that he was never doubling down and didn't understand what "soft" hands were. When he stayed on A-6 against a 10, I picked up my chips and moved to the next table. That turned out to be a good move, since in about an hour I found myself up $80. I left with the profit.
So far, I'm up $130 for the day and it's about 2 o'clock. I decided to walk back to the car, but along the way I wandered into the Ghiradelli chocolate shop outside Harrah's. I bought a 50-square assortment for Helen. Then I went on to Bally's. I decided that if I could find a seat at a $10 table, I'd try a little blackjack there. Bad move. I bought in for $50 and lost that in about 8 hands...time to head home.
On the way home, I stopped at our nearby Middle Eastern Market for fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli and lebne. That was dinner when I got home. Pretty tasty and quick to dish up, LOL!
While I was hiking up and down the Strip, Helen was on the phone with Lorraine, her brother Norm's wife in Southern California. Lorraine and Norm were planning a trip to see us, but it sounds like the trip is off. Lorraine's mother is ill and they'll be staying closer to her. Helen was also on-line researching a device that helps MS patients cope with "foot drag." We watched the video on youtube and it's impressive, but it comes with an impressive price tag - $6,000. And it's not covered by medicare. We'll study it some more and ask Dr. Sullivan, Helen's neurologist, about it.
After dinner, Helen and I had a few of the Ghiradelli squares for dessert. The milk chocolate is rich and creamy, the dark chocolate sweet and bitey. The caramel filled squares are a favorite, while the espresso packs a real punch. All are DELICIOUS...We'll be baaaaack!
Now we're just chillin' around the apartment and thinking about tomorrow when the adventure continues...
I got an early start and by 9 a.m. I was parking the Vue at Bally's. Nothing happening there, so I walked over to Bill's Gambling Hall where I played some blackjack and won $40 in about 15 minutes.
Playing at Bill's reminded me of a story that a dealer told me last week at the Suncoast. Before dealing at the Suncoast, she was a dealer at the old Barbary Coast. She was talking about all the celebrities she had dealt to, including many NBA players. One of her favorites, she said, was Dan Majerle, who was playing for the Phoenix Suns at the time. I told her I was from Majerle's home town and she said her favorite Majerle memory was when he took a flying leap over a PaiGow Poker table to get to the men's room, LOL. She still remembers his long legs clearing that green-felted table, she said! Ah, good times!!
Leaving Bill's, I walked through the Flamingo and into O'Shea's a small casino. They only had 2 bj tables going and they were both filled. I was walking out when I spotted a 25-cent Haywire slot machine. This is one of our favorites, so I shoved a $10 bill into it and began to play. After a few plays, the machine went Haywire, wheels all spinning. It wasn't a huge payoff, but I doubled my buy-in and walked $10 up. So far a profit of $50 for the day.
I strolled past the Imperial Palace and into Harrah's. No play at the H, but I did check out Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar," up on the second floor. Helen's friend Gail is coming in three weeks and she's a country music fan. Thought this might be a good place for a meal during her visit. Today I ordered their buffalo wings and a Coors Light. It took a long time for the wings to arrive, but when they did it was worth it...there must have been a dozen of those tasty delights. I couldnt eat them all, leaving one. It was pricey - $6 for the beer and $10.95 for the wings - but it was research...
My next stop was the Venetian, where I toyed with the idea of playing some poker. But the room there was jammed and there was a waiting list of 6 names. The V is one of the finest, if not THE finest - poker rooms in town. I settled into a bj table and bought in for $100. There was an Asian guy playing at 1st base, while I was at 3rd base. After about 3-4 hands, I saw that he was never doubling down and didn't understand what "soft" hands were. When he stayed on A-6 against a 10, I picked up my chips and moved to the next table. That turned out to be a good move, since in about an hour I found myself up $80. I left with the profit.
So far, I'm up $130 for the day and it's about 2 o'clock. I decided to walk back to the car, but along the way I wandered into the Ghiradelli chocolate shop outside Harrah's. I bought a 50-square assortment for Helen. Then I went on to Bally's. I decided that if I could find a seat at a $10 table, I'd try a little blackjack there. Bad move. I bought in for $50 and lost that in about 8 hands...time to head home.
On the way home, I stopped at our nearby Middle Eastern Market for fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli and lebne. That was dinner when I got home. Pretty tasty and quick to dish up, LOL!
While I was hiking up and down the Strip, Helen was on the phone with Lorraine, her brother Norm's wife in Southern California. Lorraine and Norm were planning a trip to see us, but it sounds like the trip is off. Lorraine's mother is ill and they'll be staying closer to her. Helen was also on-line researching a device that helps MS patients cope with "foot drag." We watched the video on youtube and it's impressive, but it comes with an impressive price tag - $6,000. And it's not covered by medicare. We'll study it some more and ask Dr. Sullivan, Helen's neurologist, about it.
After dinner, Helen and I had a few of the Ghiradelli squares for dessert. The milk chocolate is rich and creamy, the dark chocolate sweet and bitey. The caramel filled squares are a favorite, while the espresso packs a real punch. All are DELICIOUS...We'll be baaaaack!
Now we're just chillin' around the apartment and thinking about tomorrow when the adventure continues...
Odds Are Out for NEXT Year's SuperBowl
For all the football fanatics out there, here are the Suncoast Casino's odds for the 2010 Superbowl to be played Feb. 7, 2010 in Miami. You can bet them now...
Patriots, 5-1. Steelers, 7-1. Giants 8-1. Colts and Eagles 9-1. Cowboys, Titans, Panthers and Ravens 12-1. Chargers, Vikings, Falcons and Cardinals 15-1. Packers, Saints and Dolphins 20-1. Jaguars and Buccaneers 30-1. Broncos 35-1. Texans, Bears, Bills, Seahawks, 49ers and Redskins 40-1. Jets 50-1. Bengals, Browns, Raiders, Chiefs and Rams 75-1. Lions 200-1.
Patriots, 5-1. Steelers, 7-1. Giants 8-1. Colts and Eagles 9-1. Cowboys, Titans, Panthers and Ravens 12-1. Chargers, Vikings, Falcons and Cardinals 15-1. Packers, Saints and Dolphins 20-1. Jaguars and Buccaneers 30-1. Broncos 35-1. Texans, Bears, Bills, Seahawks, 49ers and Redskins 40-1. Jets 50-1. Bengals, Browns, Raiders, Chiefs and Rams 75-1. Lions 200-1.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Monday Full of Errands
Today was a day to get things done and no gambling.
I started off with a trip to Albertsons, our local grocery store, where I picked up $95 worth of groceries. We needed all sorts of things - peanut butter, jelly, fresh veggies, fruit, eggs, butter and much more. I always like to get over there early, around 9 a.m. or so, when things are slow.
In less than an hour, I was on my way to my second stop - the nearby library where I returned four books and checked out four more - two for Helen ( a couple of mysteries) and two for me - "Sun, Sin & Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas" by Geoff Schumacher and "The Calamity Papers: Western Myths and Cold Cases" by Dale Walker.
Then it was back to the apartment where I made lunch (chicken salad sandwiches on pita bread) for both of us. I did some reading, while Helen immersed herself in "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m.
While I was running the errands, Helen got a call from her friend Gail in TC. Gail has decided to fly out to visit us for a few days, from Feb. 16-19. It'll be fun and Helen is really excited to see one of her "shopping" buddies. I'm sure they'll have a blast touring the Forum Shops, the Miracle Mile shops, and the Venetian shops. We've also been looking into some shows that Gail might enjoy and some restaurants we can visit.
Then we headed to the local Hallmark Store where Helen had to pick up some cards for February birthdays. I waited in the car reading while she selected 11 cards (Feb is a busy birthday month, LOL!). We got home around 4 p.m. and just relaxed for a while until I whipped up a couple of healthy salads - romaine lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, roma tomatoes, and avocadoes - for dinner.
Now we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
I started off with a trip to Albertsons, our local grocery store, where I picked up $95 worth of groceries. We needed all sorts of things - peanut butter, jelly, fresh veggies, fruit, eggs, butter and much more. I always like to get over there early, around 9 a.m. or so, when things are slow.
In less than an hour, I was on my way to my second stop - the nearby library where I returned four books and checked out four more - two for Helen ( a couple of mysteries) and two for me - "Sun, Sin & Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas" by Geoff Schumacher and "The Calamity Papers: Western Myths and Cold Cases" by Dale Walker.
Then it was back to the apartment where I made lunch (chicken salad sandwiches on pita bread) for both of us. I did some reading, while Helen immersed herself in "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m.
While I was running the errands, Helen got a call from her friend Gail in TC. Gail has decided to fly out to visit us for a few days, from Feb. 16-19. It'll be fun and Helen is really excited to see one of her "shopping" buddies. I'm sure they'll have a blast touring the Forum Shops, the Miracle Mile shops, and the Venetian shops. We've also been looking into some shows that Gail might enjoy and some restaurants we can visit.
Then we headed to the local Hallmark Store where Helen had to pick up some cards for February birthdays. I waited in the car reading while she selected 11 cards (Feb is a busy birthday month, LOL!). We got home around 4 p.m. and just relaxed for a while until I whipped up a couple of healthy salads - romaine lettuce, feta cheese, kalamata olives, roma tomatoes, and avocadoes - for dinner.
Now we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Well Hello, Miss New Jersey
Our Sunday started early with an 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. It's a friendly congregation that seems to enjoy having us snowbirds drop in for services.
After church, I changed into my gambling clothes and made a trip to the Suncoast. My friend, Terry, asked me to play a $50 5-team NBA money line parlay for him. When I bought him the ticket, I saw it would pay $317 if all five teams (all favorites) won their games. The casino was pretty quiet, so I left there to hit the Strip.
I made the 30-minute drive to the Strip and parked at Bally's. After checking out Bally's and Paris, I made my way to the Planet Hollywood, site of last night's Miss America contest. The PH was busier than either Paris or Bally's and I found a seat at a $10 blackjack table. I was sitting in the center of the table and playing $10-15 a hand, while a guy at 3rd base was playing $50-100 a hand. Ironically, I was able to win pretty steadily while Mr. Big Bets was not.
After a couple of shoes, I was up $120 and Mr. BB was down probably $300-400. I didn't wait to find out. I happily left with my profit and went to check out the always-tasty PH Buffet.
Near the escalator that leads down to the PH buffet, I saw a group of 3-4 young women. One was wearing a black hoodie with a sequined "Miss New Jersey" across the back.
"Are you really Miss New Jersey," I asked.
"Yes, I am."
"Well, congratulations and I hope you enjoyed your time in Las Vegas."
"We had a blast," she said before walking away.
I continued down to the buffet and arrived there about 11:30. Surprisingly there were only 3 people ahead of me in line. Lunch began with a plate of shrimp and chicken wings, then a serving of shish-ka-bob chicken, rice and grilled veggies. No room for dessert, though I did eye the chocolate creme pie, LOL.
I didn't want to give back any of my profits, so I went to the PH sports book to watch MSU struggle against Ohio State. The Spartans trailed most of the game, but rallied for the win. About 2:30 I decided to head home, so I walked back through Paris and up to the parking deck. By 3:15 or so, I was back in the apartment where I finished reading "Black Powder, White Smoke," a western novel by Loren Estleman. It's due back at the library tomorrow, so I wanted to finish the last 50 pages today.
Dinner was chili, leftover from last night. Helen and I are now watching TV and relaxing. We're working on a grocery list, because I'll be hitting the local Albertson's for a food run in the morning as the adventure continues...
After church, I changed into my gambling clothes and made a trip to the Suncoast. My friend, Terry, asked me to play a $50 5-team NBA money line parlay for him. When I bought him the ticket, I saw it would pay $317 if all five teams (all favorites) won their games. The casino was pretty quiet, so I left there to hit the Strip.
I made the 30-minute drive to the Strip and parked at Bally's. After checking out Bally's and Paris, I made my way to the Planet Hollywood, site of last night's Miss America contest. The PH was busier than either Paris or Bally's and I found a seat at a $10 blackjack table. I was sitting in the center of the table and playing $10-15 a hand, while a guy at 3rd base was playing $50-100 a hand. Ironically, I was able to win pretty steadily while Mr. Big Bets was not.
After a couple of shoes, I was up $120 and Mr. BB was down probably $300-400. I didn't wait to find out. I happily left with my profit and went to check out the always-tasty PH Buffet.
Near the escalator that leads down to the PH buffet, I saw a group of 3-4 young women. One was wearing a black hoodie with a sequined "Miss New Jersey" across the back.
"Are you really Miss New Jersey," I asked.
"Yes, I am."
"Well, congratulations and I hope you enjoyed your time in Las Vegas."
"We had a blast," she said before walking away.
I continued down to the buffet and arrived there about 11:30. Surprisingly there were only 3 people ahead of me in line. Lunch began with a plate of shrimp and chicken wings, then a serving of shish-ka-bob chicken, rice and grilled veggies. No room for dessert, though I did eye the chocolate creme pie, LOL.
I didn't want to give back any of my profits, so I went to the PH sports book to watch MSU struggle against Ohio State. The Spartans trailed most of the game, but rallied for the win. About 2:30 I decided to head home, so I walked back through Paris and up to the parking deck. By 3:15 or so, I was back in the apartment where I finished reading "Black Powder, White Smoke," a western novel by Loren Estleman. It's due back at the library tomorrow, so I wanted to finish the last 50 pages today.
Dinner was chili, leftover from last night. Helen and I are now watching TV and relaxing. We're working on a grocery list, because I'll be hitting the local Albertson's for a food run in the morning as the adventure continues...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Who Needs a Joe Montana Autographed FB Helmet?
Our Saturday started with a road trip to the Fantastic Las Vegas Indoor Swap Meet, located about 2 miles west of the Strip, about 8 miles from our apartment.
This Swap Meet is a huge building divided into dozens and dozens of cubicles where vendors are peddling all sorts of, well, junky stuff - imitation Gucci bags, Sham Wows, sparkly women's clothes, low-budget t-shirts, tons of jewelry and more. We spent about an hour wandering up and down aisle after aisle, but didn't really see anything worth buying. I was a little surprised that the place didn't have any antique dealers or sports card dealers. But lots of schlocky sorts of stuff...
By the time our visit to the Swap Meet was over, it was time for lunch. We opted for some takeout burritoes from Del Taco, really tasty Mexican fast food.
After lunch we hung out at the apartment, paying bills, watching TV, and reading until I whipped up a batch of chili for dinner. It was pretty tasty and I made enough so we'll have that again tomorrow.
About 5 p.m., I headed over to the Suncoast to prepare for the 8 p.m. drawing for a trip to Hawaii to see the Pro Bowl in two weeks. I wanted to play a little blackjack before the drawing and had a nice profitable session from 5 to 7:30 when I cashed out up $91. I strolled over to the area where the drawing would be held and grabbed a seat at a .25 cent poker machine. I slid a $10 into the machine and played for about 15 minutes, cashing out $13.75 - a $3.75 profit for 15 minutes of "work." That's a rate of $14 per hour - not bad for seated, indoor work, huh?
At 8 p.m. they began drawing the names of the contest winners. The Suncoast was giving out 13 prizes - a trip to Hawaii, four cash prizes of $250 each, and fb memorabilia, including an autographed, framed Tony Romo jersey, a full-sized autographed Joe Montana helmet, a Tom Brady autographed football, an autographed Paul Horning mini-helmet and a few other footballs and mini-helmets.
I had a good spot to watch the drawings and was pretty excited when they called out "Alan Parker" as the 6th winner!
I checked in with the marketing people there and waited until they drew all 13 names. Two of the original 13 were not there, so two replacement winners were called and in about 15 minutes we had all the winners ready. There were 13 envelopes spread out on a table, each with a prize inside. Going in order of the names picked, each of us winners were allowed to go up to the table and select an envelope.
The first winner, a woman, got the Tom Brady football, the second won the Tony Romo jersey. The third winner picked envelope #9 and won the Trip to Hawaii...a little disappointing, but I was still in the running for one of the four $250 cash prizes. The fourth winner won a cash prize, as did the fifth, right ahead of me.
When my turn came, I chose envelope #5 (Helen's lucky number) and won the full-sized autographed Joe Montana Helmet. The casino placed a value of $500 on it, but that might be a little high - though the helmets alone go for well over $100 and Montana's autograph boosts the value considerably. It comes in a huge protective display case, along with a certificate of authenticity.
I'm not a huge Montana or 49ers fan, so if anyone can use this, we'll accept offers. There's always ebay, but I'd rather not deal with the shipping hassle. :)
So I'm feeling pretty lucky tonight. Helen and I celebrated with a big bowl of popcorn and now we're watching the talent competition of the Miss America Contest, which is being held here in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino. Miss Michigan is dancing like a whirling dervish!!!
Tomorrow we'll be heading off to church early, then who knows what adventures await us...
This Swap Meet is a huge building divided into dozens and dozens of cubicles where vendors are peddling all sorts of, well, junky stuff - imitation Gucci bags, Sham Wows, sparkly women's clothes, low-budget t-shirts, tons of jewelry and more. We spent about an hour wandering up and down aisle after aisle, but didn't really see anything worth buying. I was a little surprised that the place didn't have any antique dealers or sports card dealers. But lots of schlocky sorts of stuff...
By the time our visit to the Swap Meet was over, it was time for lunch. We opted for some takeout burritoes from Del Taco, really tasty Mexican fast food.
After lunch we hung out at the apartment, paying bills, watching TV, and reading until I whipped up a batch of chili for dinner. It was pretty tasty and I made enough so we'll have that again tomorrow.
About 5 p.m., I headed over to the Suncoast to prepare for the 8 p.m. drawing for a trip to Hawaii to see the Pro Bowl in two weeks. I wanted to play a little blackjack before the drawing and had a nice profitable session from 5 to 7:30 when I cashed out up $91. I strolled over to the area where the drawing would be held and grabbed a seat at a .25 cent poker machine. I slid a $10 into the machine and played for about 15 minutes, cashing out $13.75 - a $3.75 profit for 15 minutes of "work." That's a rate of $14 per hour - not bad for seated, indoor work, huh?
At 8 p.m. they began drawing the names of the contest winners. The Suncoast was giving out 13 prizes - a trip to Hawaii, four cash prizes of $250 each, and fb memorabilia, including an autographed, framed Tony Romo jersey, a full-sized autographed Joe Montana helmet, a Tom Brady autographed football, an autographed Paul Horning mini-helmet and a few other footballs and mini-helmets.
I had a good spot to watch the drawings and was pretty excited when they called out "Alan Parker" as the 6th winner!
I checked in with the marketing people there and waited until they drew all 13 names. Two of the original 13 were not there, so two replacement winners were called and in about 15 minutes we had all the winners ready. There were 13 envelopes spread out on a table, each with a prize inside. Going in order of the names picked, each of us winners were allowed to go up to the table and select an envelope.
The first winner, a woman, got the Tom Brady football, the second won the Tony Romo jersey. The third winner picked envelope #9 and won the Trip to Hawaii...a little disappointing, but I was still in the running for one of the four $250 cash prizes. The fourth winner won a cash prize, as did the fifth, right ahead of me.
When my turn came, I chose envelope #5 (Helen's lucky number) and won the full-sized autographed Joe Montana Helmet. The casino placed a value of $500 on it, but that might be a little high - though the helmets alone go for well over $100 and Montana's autograph boosts the value considerably. It comes in a huge protective display case, along with a certificate of authenticity.
I'm not a huge Montana or 49ers fan, so if anyone can use this, we'll accept offers. There's always ebay, but I'd rather not deal with the shipping hassle. :)
So I'm feeling pretty lucky tonight. Helen and I celebrated with a big bowl of popcorn and now we're watching the talent competition of the Miss America Contest, which is being held here in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino. Miss Michigan is dancing like a whirling dervish!!!
Tomorrow we'll be heading off to church early, then who knows what adventures await us...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Poker on the Strip
I haven't played poker on the Strip for about a week, so today my plan was to head down to Bally's around 9 a.m. and enjoy a full day there.
My departure was delayed for about an hour, because some furniture delivery truck blocked my exit. It was a little frustrating, but it allowed me some time to read and help Helen with her stretching exercises.
I finally got on the road around 9:30 and arrived at the Bally's parking deck some 30 minutes later. The Bally's poker room had two tables going and a waiting list of about 5 names. I added my name to the list, the mgr. opened another table and we played 6-handed for about 15 minutes until four more players showed up.
Early on I had trouble getting any type of hand. For about 30 minutes I didn't play a single hand. But my patience was rewarded around 11:15-noon when I had a hot streak. At one point I won 4-of-5 hands and guys at the table were grumbling about my hot streak. One 20-something guy in a dirty Syracuse University hat and sunglasses was really loud about it. He vowed that we'd have a showdown and that "he'd get" me.
It never happened.
I was really catching good cards today. Three times I looked down at A-A, winning two of those hands and losing to a straight the third time. Several times I had pocket pairs Q-Q, 10-10 (catching a 3rd 10 on the flop and winning the hand), 8-8 twice, 3-3 three times (and never improving on them, but winning one hand when I bet $17 and no one called me.)
I played until about 5:15 and cashed out with a profit of $91.
While I was grinding out a poker profit, Helen did some laundry, did some exercises and watched a little TV.
It was about 6 p.m. when I arrived home. We had leftovers from Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Now we're just relaxing, watching some TV.
But tomorrow the adventure continues...
My departure was delayed for about an hour, because some furniture delivery truck blocked my exit. It was a little frustrating, but it allowed me some time to read and help Helen with her stretching exercises.
I finally got on the road around 9:30 and arrived at the Bally's parking deck some 30 minutes later. The Bally's poker room had two tables going and a waiting list of about 5 names. I added my name to the list, the mgr. opened another table and we played 6-handed for about 15 minutes until four more players showed up.
Early on I had trouble getting any type of hand. For about 30 minutes I didn't play a single hand. But my patience was rewarded around 11:15-noon when I had a hot streak. At one point I won 4-of-5 hands and guys at the table were grumbling about my hot streak. One 20-something guy in a dirty Syracuse University hat and sunglasses was really loud about it. He vowed that we'd have a showdown and that "he'd get" me.
It never happened.
I was really catching good cards today. Three times I looked down at A-A, winning two of those hands and losing to a straight the third time. Several times I had pocket pairs Q-Q, 10-10 (catching a 3rd 10 on the flop and winning the hand), 8-8 twice, 3-3 three times (and never improving on them, but winning one hand when I bet $17 and no one called me.)
I played until about 5:15 and cashed out with a profit of $91.
While I was grinding out a poker profit, Helen did some laundry, did some exercises and watched a little TV.
It was about 6 p.m. when I arrived home. We had leftovers from Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Now we're just relaxing, watching some TV.
But tomorrow the adventure continues...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Little Work, A Little Play
This morning started with both Helen and I spending time on our phones.
Helen spent about 2 hours catching up with her sister Natalie in Traverse City, while I interviewed a restaurant owner about her new coffee shop for an article I'm writing for the Northern Express.
Sarah Dalgliesh has opened Crow About It Coffee and Cakes at the intersection of US 31 and 4 Mile Rd. I talked with her about 30 minutes and got lots of information about her new business. I'll write it over the weekend and send it to the Northern Express Editor Bob Downes, who said he'll stop by and take some photos. It feels good to do get back into the writing groove. The last assignment I did was my monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth papers. That was written about a week ago.
Helen told Natalie about how great the Vegas weather is compared to winter in TC. It sounds like Nat is getting really tired of dealing with snow, ice and frigid temps. She's always welcome to move to Las Vegas...
I finished my interview around 1130 and made lunch for us - chicken salad on rye for me and a cheese sandwich on fresh pita bread for Helen, who then began doing a load of laundry.
I headed over to the Suncoast to see if my luck was continuing there. I spent about an hour in an up-and-down blackjack session before leaving down about $30. I drove over to the Red Rock Casino where I bought in for $100 and went thru another up-and-down sort of session. Never got really hot, but still managed to eke out a $70 win there.
So for the day, my profit was $40. Not great, but enough for dinner.
We opted for takeout from Helen's favorite restaurant - The Cheesecake Factory. She ALWAYS gets her favorite salad, the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad that comes with avocado, chicken, tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans, cucumber and romaine lettuce, all tossed with a special zesty ranch dressing and topped with fried onion rings for crunch. My dinner was Louisiana Chicken Pasta, that comes with four large chunks of parmesan-crusted chicken served over bowtie pasta with mushrooms, peppers and onions in a tangy New Orleans sauce. The bill came to $33, including tip.
The portions from the Cheesecake Factory are so large that we'll be enjoying the leftovers for dinner tomorrow when the adventure continues...
Helen spent about 2 hours catching up with her sister Natalie in Traverse City, while I interviewed a restaurant owner about her new coffee shop for an article I'm writing for the Northern Express.
Sarah Dalgliesh has opened Crow About It Coffee and Cakes at the intersection of US 31 and 4 Mile Rd. I talked with her about 30 minutes and got lots of information about her new business. I'll write it over the weekend and send it to the Northern Express Editor Bob Downes, who said he'll stop by and take some photos. It feels good to do get back into the writing groove. The last assignment I did was my monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth papers. That was written about a week ago.
Helen told Natalie about how great the Vegas weather is compared to winter in TC. It sounds like Nat is getting really tired of dealing with snow, ice and frigid temps. She's always welcome to move to Las Vegas...
I finished my interview around 1130 and made lunch for us - chicken salad on rye for me and a cheese sandwich on fresh pita bread for Helen, who then began doing a load of laundry.
I headed over to the Suncoast to see if my luck was continuing there. I spent about an hour in an up-and-down blackjack session before leaving down about $30. I drove over to the Red Rock Casino where I bought in for $100 and went thru another up-and-down sort of session. Never got really hot, but still managed to eke out a $70 win there.
So for the day, my profit was $40. Not great, but enough for dinner.
We opted for takeout from Helen's favorite restaurant - The Cheesecake Factory. She ALWAYS gets her favorite salad, the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad that comes with avocado, chicken, tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans, cucumber and romaine lettuce, all tossed with a special zesty ranch dressing and topped with fried onion rings for crunch. My dinner was Louisiana Chicken Pasta, that comes with four large chunks of parmesan-crusted chicken served over bowtie pasta with mushrooms, peppers and onions in a tangy New Orleans sauce. The bill came to $33, including tip.
The portions from the Cheesecake Factory are so large that we'll be enjoying the leftovers for dinner tomorrow when the adventure continues...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Winner, Winner Lasagna Dinner
Our Wednesday started with me driving Helen to a Bible study class at the nearby Lakes Lutheran Church that we attended for the first time on Sunday.
At 10 a.m. a group meets at the church, so I drove Helen there and dropped her off for the 90-minute class. While she was studying the Bible, I was studying cards and basketball bets at the Suncoast. She did much better than I did. I dropped $55 on blackjack and made a $10 hoops parlay bet that will pay $110 if Louisville, Missouri, Clemson and BYU come through for me.
After picking her up at 11:30, we came home and I made us chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Helen encouraged me to go back to the Suncoast and give blackjack another try. Thanks to her support, I drove back there and began to play blackjack again.
This time things went very well. I was betting $10-15 and soon was up $100, then $200 when I hit a plateau. Then suddenly in just a few double downs and splitting hands that went well, I was up almost $400, then $500. When I finally walked away, I won $868. And we still have the live basketball bet, LOL!
I got home around 5 p.m. and made us a lasagna dinner (Thank You, Stouffers) with a side salad of Romaine lettuce, red onions, feta cheese, and roma tomatoes. Pretty tasty and easy to whip together.
Tonight we're just watching some TV and preparing for tomorrow's adventures...
At 10 a.m. a group meets at the church, so I drove Helen there and dropped her off for the 90-minute class. While she was studying the Bible, I was studying cards and basketball bets at the Suncoast. She did much better than I did. I dropped $55 on blackjack and made a $10 hoops parlay bet that will pay $110 if Louisville, Missouri, Clemson and BYU come through for me.
After picking her up at 11:30, we came home and I made us chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Helen encouraged me to go back to the Suncoast and give blackjack another try. Thanks to her support, I drove back there and began to play blackjack again.
This time things went very well. I was betting $10-15 and soon was up $100, then $200 when I hit a plateau. Then suddenly in just a few double downs and splitting hands that went well, I was up almost $400, then $500. When I finally walked away, I won $868. And we still have the live basketball bet, LOL!
I got home around 5 p.m. and made us a lasagna dinner (Thank You, Stouffers) with a side salad of Romaine lettuce, red onions, feta cheese, and roma tomatoes. Pretty tasty and easy to whip together.
Tonight we're just watching some TV and preparing for tomorrow's adventures...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Just Chillin' in Las Vegas
Today was one of our laziest days yet in the Land of Neon and Free Drinks.
Helen and I chose not to partake at all in the B. Hussein Obama coronation, so I spent the morning running errands and she finished reading Janet Evanovich's "Fearless Fourteen."
At about 10 a.m., my first stop was at the nearest post office to mail a small gift package to a friend whose recovering from surgery. The LV post offices are among the LEAST efficient I have ever seen. Every time I go there - about 4-5 times so far this trip - there's a huge line and only two windows are open. Today I was the 14th person in line. It took me 10 minutes to get to the counter.
And an amazing number of people are unprepared when they reach the counter. They don't have the right customs forms filled out or to address their package. One woman didnt even have her package taped up until the clerk helped her. AAAAARGH.
My next stop was Bank of America where I had to depost a check from the TC Business News and another from our annuity, plus some of our recent blackjack winnings. Then it was over the Albertson's - the grocery store - where I picked up about a dozen items.
I got home around 11:30 and made us some chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Then we relaxed during the afternoon. I am now reading a western "The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion," by Loren Estleman, a guy who worked for me on the Eastern Echo when I was editor in chief in 1974. Loren has written more than 50 novels, mostly in the detective & western genres. If you like either of those, I highly recommend picking up one of his works.
Dinner was a Middle Eastern plate, with hummus, tabouli, lebne (a thick slightly tart yogurt) and pita bread.
Now we're watching some TV and just relaxing, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Helen and I chose not to partake at all in the B. Hussein Obama coronation, so I spent the morning running errands and she finished reading Janet Evanovich's "Fearless Fourteen."
At about 10 a.m., my first stop was at the nearest post office to mail a small gift package to a friend whose recovering from surgery. The LV post offices are among the LEAST efficient I have ever seen. Every time I go there - about 4-5 times so far this trip - there's a huge line and only two windows are open. Today I was the 14th person in line. It took me 10 minutes to get to the counter.
And an amazing number of people are unprepared when they reach the counter. They don't have the right customs forms filled out or to address their package. One woman didnt even have her package taped up until the clerk helped her. AAAAARGH.
My next stop was Bank of America where I had to depost a check from the TC Business News and another from our annuity, plus some of our recent blackjack winnings. Then it was over the Albertson's - the grocery store - where I picked up about a dozen items.
I got home around 11:30 and made us some chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Then we relaxed during the afternoon. I am now reading a western "The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion," by Loren Estleman, a guy who worked for me on the Eastern Echo when I was editor in chief in 1974. Loren has written more than 50 novels, mostly in the detective & western genres. If you like either of those, I highly recommend picking up one of his works.
Dinner was a Middle Eastern plate, with hummus, tabouli, lebne (a thick slightly tart yogurt) and pita bread.
Now we're watching some TV and just relaxing, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lunch Rocks in Boulder City!
Today Helen and I took a road trip, about 40 miles, to have lunch at the World Famous Coffee Cup Cafe in Boulder City.
Tucked along the shore of the Colorado River and Lake Mead, Boulder City sprouted out of the Nevada desert in the 1930s when the Hoover Dam was constructed. Boulder City was where the thousands of workers lived during the building of the dam. Now one of its claims to fame is that its the only community in Nevada where gambling is illegal. While Nevada state law allows gaming, a Boulder City ordinance bans any wagering.
Another claim to fame is the Coffee Cup Cafe, which was featured in the Food Network's"Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,"starring host Guy Fieri. It's a family-run eatery with very little pretension, but hefty portions of tasty home-cooked food.
We arrived in B-City around 1130 and found a parking spot right across the street from "The Cup." We were shown to a corner table and checked out the place, which is decorated with plenty of photos, surfing gear, water skiing stuff and license plates. After checking out the menu, Helen chose the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich with fries, while I opted for a cup of the chili (topped with cheese and chopped onions) and the 1/3-pound cheeseburger that comes with potato salad (or fries or slaw). Both of our meals were Excellent! The bill was only $17, pretty reasonable for all the food we had.
We got home around 1:30 and just relaxed, reading some books. I finished a biography of journalist Ambrose Bierce, while Helen is enjoying Janet Evanovich's "Fearless 14." Since we had such a hefty lunch, I whipped up some salads for dinner - organic baby spinach, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, sliced avocados and topped with Greek feta cheese (from our local Middle Eastern market).
Over the weekend I suffered two more losing gambling sessions. On Saturday I went to MGM Grand where I played poker for about 5 hours, losing my $100 buy-in. I did win a $20 basketball bet when MSU and Illinois scored less than 130 points. So my losses for the day were $80.
On Sunday, I went to Suncoast to play blackjack and hopefully break my losing streak. Unfortunately, the blackjack went very badly. I lost my $100 buy-in and a $25 fb parlay bet. I took both underdogs - the Cardinals and the Ravens. I was doing fine until 4 minutes left in the game when the Steelers intercepted a pass and ran it 40 yards for a touchdown.
Anyway, I'm taking a few days off from gambling to try to end my losing ways. Tomorrow I have a few errands to run - banking, a trip to the post office and some grocery shopping. But I'm sure our adventures will continue...
Tucked along the shore of the Colorado River and Lake Mead, Boulder City sprouted out of the Nevada desert in the 1930s when the Hoover Dam was constructed. Boulder City was where the thousands of workers lived during the building of the dam. Now one of its claims to fame is that its the only community in Nevada where gambling is illegal. While Nevada state law allows gaming, a Boulder City ordinance bans any wagering.
Another claim to fame is the Coffee Cup Cafe, which was featured in the Food Network's"Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,"starring host Guy Fieri. It's a family-run eatery with very little pretension, but hefty portions of tasty home-cooked food.
We arrived in B-City around 1130 and found a parking spot right across the street from "The Cup." We were shown to a corner table and checked out the place, which is decorated with plenty of photos, surfing gear, water skiing stuff and license plates. After checking out the menu, Helen chose the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich with fries, while I opted for a cup of the chili (topped with cheese and chopped onions) and the 1/3-pound cheeseburger that comes with potato salad (or fries or slaw). Both of our meals were Excellent! The bill was only $17, pretty reasonable for all the food we had.
We got home around 1:30 and just relaxed, reading some books. I finished a biography of journalist Ambrose Bierce, while Helen is enjoying Janet Evanovich's "Fearless 14." Since we had such a hefty lunch, I whipped up some salads for dinner - organic baby spinach, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, sliced avocados and topped with Greek feta cheese (from our local Middle Eastern market).
Over the weekend I suffered two more losing gambling sessions. On Saturday I went to MGM Grand where I played poker for about 5 hours, losing my $100 buy-in. I did win a $20 basketball bet when MSU and Illinois scored less than 130 points. So my losses for the day were $80.
On Sunday, I went to Suncoast to play blackjack and hopefully break my losing streak. Unfortunately, the blackjack went very badly. I lost my $100 buy-in and a $25 fb parlay bet. I took both underdogs - the Cardinals and the Ravens. I was doing fine until 4 minutes left in the game when the Steelers intercepted a pass and ran it 40 yards for a touchdown.
Anyway, I'm taking a few days off from gambling to try to end my losing ways. Tomorrow I have a few errands to run - banking, a trip to the post office and some grocery shopping. But I'm sure our adventures will continue...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Clean Up, Then Cleaned Out
This morning was devoted to cleaning our one-bedroom apartment.
Last year, Helen and I had a young woman clean our place every two weeks at a cost of $100 a month. This year, we decided we could handle the cleaning ourselves and bought a Bissell vacuum and some cleaning supplies to help with the task.
After putting together the vacuum and a nifty Swiffer floor cleaner, we set about getting the place in order. I vacuumed the bedroom, living room and dining area and Helen used the Swiffer to clean the tiled areas of the kitchen, bathroom and entryway. Then I cleaned the bathtub and shower, while Helen did all the other work.
She sent me out to earn some money, while she finished cleaning the apartment. She really did a great job and was pretty worn out after it was done.
Meanwhile, I rolled into the Red Rock casino where I found a $10 blackjack table. Right away, things turned ugly - I lost the first four hands, pushed one, then lost two more. I changed tables and that didn't help at all. In less than 45 minutes, I left with $80 less than I arrived with.
But hope springs eternal in a gambler's breast, so I headed over to the Suncoast. I've had an amazing run of success there and surely the generous Suncoast dealers would make up for the scoundrels who were tossing cards at the Red Rock. I was confident - It wasn't a matter of if I would win, it was only a question of how much.
But this time the Neon Empire Struck Back...I proceeded to have a very lackluster hour of down and up and down and down and down. Luckily I had one big hand where I split 9s against a dealer's 6. I received another 9 and then another. Eventually I had four hands, with one double down for a total of 5 $15 bets. Luckily the dealer broke and I collected $75. But even that singular bright event was not enough to nudge me into the black for long.
I left Suncoast down $30 - so for the day I lost $110. My first losing session after 9 Consecutive Winning trips.
I got home around 2:30 p.m. and just relaxed for about an hour. While I was gone, Helen received a package she had been waiting for - 12 bags of special "Wild Berry Flavored Jolly Ranchers" that we've been unable to find here in Las Vegas. They are her favorites and we ordered a dozen bags through Amazon.
Around 3:30 I started a big batch of spaghetti sauce and let that simmer for a couple of hours til I boiled the pasta. It was a tasty dinner that we both enjoyed. Now we're just relaxing and watching TV. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Last year, Helen and I had a young woman clean our place every two weeks at a cost of $100 a month. This year, we decided we could handle the cleaning ourselves and bought a Bissell vacuum and some cleaning supplies to help with the task.
After putting together the vacuum and a nifty Swiffer floor cleaner, we set about getting the place in order. I vacuumed the bedroom, living room and dining area and Helen used the Swiffer to clean the tiled areas of the kitchen, bathroom and entryway. Then I cleaned the bathtub and shower, while Helen did all the other work.
She sent me out to earn some money, while she finished cleaning the apartment. She really did a great job and was pretty worn out after it was done.
Meanwhile, I rolled into the Red Rock casino where I found a $10 blackjack table. Right away, things turned ugly - I lost the first four hands, pushed one, then lost two more. I changed tables and that didn't help at all. In less than 45 minutes, I left with $80 less than I arrived with.
But hope springs eternal in a gambler's breast, so I headed over to the Suncoast. I've had an amazing run of success there and surely the generous Suncoast dealers would make up for the scoundrels who were tossing cards at the Red Rock. I was confident - It wasn't a matter of if I would win, it was only a question of how much.
But this time the Neon Empire Struck Back...I proceeded to have a very lackluster hour of down and up and down and down and down. Luckily I had one big hand where I split 9s against a dealer's 6. I received another 9 and then another. Eventually I had four hands, with one double down for a total of 5 $15 bets. Luckily the dealer broke and I collected $75. But even that singular bright event was not enough to nudge me into the black for long.
I left Suncoast down $30 - so for the day I lost $110. My first losing session after 9 Consecutive Winning trips.
I got home around 2:30 p.m. and just relaxed for about an hour. While I was gone, Helen received a package she had been waiting for - 12 bags of special "Wild Berry Flavored Jolly Ranchers" that we've been unable to find here in Las Vegas. They are her favorites and we ordered a dozen bags through Amazon.
Around 3:30 I started a big batch of spaghetti sauce and let that simmer for a couple of hours til I boiled the pasta. It was a tasty dinner that we both enjoyed. Now we're just relaxing and watching TV. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Write Early, Play Later
Though I've had a phenomenal run of luck at the blackjack tables lately, I still have some writing obligations that I take care of every month or so.
So today I sat down early and began work on my monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth Newspapers. It's basically a listing of what entertainers are coming to all of Michigan's casinos for the upcoming month. I always like to add a little information about the performers, such as "Chubby Checker is the only performer to have the same song - The Twist - reach #1 on the charts in two different years, 1960 and 1962" or "Kenny Rogers is the only artist to have records on the charts in six different decades."
To write these listings, I go to each casino's web site and check their monthly schedule. Then I check the performer's web site to get some interesting nuggets of info. All of this research takes an hour or two to pull together. The actual writing is minimal, but fun.
For anyone interested, coming to Michigan casinos next month are Miranda Lambert, Kenny Rogers, Neville Brothers and Dr. John, and the Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars, among others.
Anyway, I wrote the column and sent it to the Booth editor who sees that it gets sent to all the Booth papers in Michigan. It appears on the first Sunday of each month in the Ann Arbor News, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Bay City Times, Kalamazoo Gazette, Jackson Citizen-Patriot, Muskegon Chronicle and Saginaw News.
After getting that work done, I was free to visit one of our nearby casinos. Helen sent me out so she could watch some chick-flick shows on the "Lifetime" channel and finish up a couple of small sewing projects she has. So about 10 a.m. I rolled into the Suncoast, which is only about 2 miles from our apartment.
Things were pretty quiet at the Suncoast and I was lucky to find a seat at one of the three blackjack tables that were going. I bought in for $200 and won the first 3-4 hands right away. It was up and down, but I generally did well. The dealer Kelli (who said she was born in Grand Rapids, but moved to Las Vegas when she was only 2) was breaking pretty regularly and after a couple of shoes, I was up over $100. After the next shoe I was up over $200.
When the green felt dust settled, I walked away from the table about 12:30 p.m. with a profit of $280. I also earned three more entries into the Suncoast "Win a Trip to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii Contest (Now I have 26 entries in the rotating drum- How can I NOT win, right?). I took a lunch break - chicken salad on sour dough with a diet Coke - wondering if I should play some more. I decided to leave the Suncoast with the profit and drive to the Red Rock Casino, about 3 miles away.
Pulling into the Red Rock at 2 p.m. , I had a plan to only risk $80 so I would absolutely post a profit of $200 for the day. I sat down at one of Red Rock's few $10 tables with one other player and immediately won the first 3 hands at $10 each. From that point on, it seemed like I won 3 of every 4 hands and steadily raised my bets to $15 to $25. Shortly before 3 p.m., I cashed in $320 in chips - a profit of $240 from Red Rock.
After cashing in the chips I threw $10 into a 1-Penny "Deal or No Deal" slot machine. No winner there...so for the day my profit was $510. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY STAY IN BUSINESS!!!
For dinner, I made some hefty salads with crisp romaine lettuce, mushrooms, sliced avocados, roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, and topped with shredded cheddar. We're doing a pretty good job of eating healthier here in Las Vegas.
Tonight we're just relaxing with the NBC comedy shows - My Name is Earl, The Office and 30 Rock. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
So today I sat down early and began work on my monthly casino entertainment column for the Booth Newspapers. It's basically a listing of what entertainers are coming to all of Michigan's casinos for the upcoming month. I always like to add a little information about the performers, such as "Chubby Checker is the only performer to have the same song - The Twist - reach #1 on the charts in two different years, 1960 and 1962" or "Kenny Rogers is the only artist to have records on the charts in six different decades."
To write these listings, I go to each casino's web site and check their monthly schedule. Then I check the performer's web site to get some interesting nuggets of info. All of this research takes an hour or two to pull together. The actual writing is minimal, but fun.
For anyone interested, coming to Michigan casinos next month are Miranda Lambert, Kenny Rogers, Neville Brothers and Dr. John, and the Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars, among others.
Anyway, I wrote the column and sent it to the Booth editor who sees that it gets sent to all the Booth papers in Michigan. It appears on the first Sunday of each month in the Ann Arbor News, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Bay City Times, Kalamazoo Gazette, Jackson Citizen-Patriot, Muskegon Chronicle and Saginaw News.
After getting that work done, I was free to visit one of our nearby casinos. Helen sent me out so she could watch some chick-flick shows on the "Lifetime" channel and finish up a couple of small sewing projects she has. So about 10 a.m. I rolled into the Suncoast, which is only about 2 miles from our apartment.
Things were pretty quiet at the Suncoast and I was lucky to find a seat at one of the three blackjack tables that were going. I bought in for $200 and won the first 3-4 hands right away. It was up and down, but I generally did well. The dealer Kelli (who said she was born in Grand Rapids, but moved to Las Vegas when she was only 2) was breaking pretty regularly and after a couple of shoes, I was up over $100. After the next shoe I was up over $200.
When the green felt dust settled, I walked away from the table about 12:30 p.m. with a profit of $280. I also earned three more entries into the Suncoast "Win a Trip to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii Contest (Now I have 26 entries in the rotating drum- How can I NOT win, right?). I took a lunch break - chicken salad on sour dough with a diet Coke - wondering if I should play some more. I decided to leave the Suncoast with the profit and drive to the Red Rock Casino, about 3 miles away.
Pulling into the Red Rock at 2 p.m. , I had a plan to only risk $80 so I would absolutely post a profit of $200 for the day. I sat down at one of Red Rock's few $10 tables with one other player and immediately won the first 3 hands at $10 each. From that point on, it seemed like I won 3 of every 4 hands and steadily raised my bets to $15 to $25. Shortly before 3 p.m., I cashed in $320 in chips - a profit of $240 from Red Rock.
After cashing in the chips I threw $10 into a 1-Penny "Deal or No Deal" slot machine. No winner there...so for the day my profit was $510. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY STAY IN BUSINESS!!!
For dinner, I made some hefty salads with crisp romaine lettuce, mushrooms, sliced avocados, roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, and topped with shredded cheddar. We're doing a pretty good job of eating healthier here in Las Vegas.
Tonight we're just relaxing with the NBC comedy shows - My Name is Earl, The Office and 30 Rock. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Fiscal Fitness
Beautiful blue skies and temperatures well into the 60s made it a perfect day to do a lot of walking along the Strip.
So I left the apartment around 9 a.m. and drove to the Bally's parking deck. By 9:30 I was checking out the casino's poker room, which was absolutely empty. No tables going, no dealers, no one at all. I've never seen it completely shut down. The rest of the casino was also pretty dead. Looking for a blackjack table, I saw a total of three open - two $10 tables that were full and a $25 table with one lone player. Bally's was quiet on this Wednesday morning.
I ambled over to Bill's Gambling Hall and played for a while, winning $26 before I went next door to check out the Flamingo. Looked at the poker room, but didn't play. Moved on to the Imperial Palace where it mirrored the action at Bally's - though the IP poker room was busy with a morning tournament.
My next stop was Harrah's where I walked through, but didn't play. I did a lot of walking and little playing this morning. But that's good. I need the exercise and walking is a good way for me to work off a few pounds. It was a beautiful day and the Strip was not too busy.
By the time I reached the Venetian, it was time for lunch. The V is home to one of my favorite Las Vegas eateries - the Grand Lux Cafe. Over the years, I've eaten here probably a dozen times and never had a bad meal. Today I opted for a lunch salad of mixed greens and grilled chicken with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was tasty and substantial enough to satisfy my hunger. One thing about the Grand Lux Cafe, they don't skimp on the portion size.
After lunch, I played some blackjack and won a little bit $45, so for the day I was up $71. That success came to a screeching halt when I crossed the Strip and entered Treasure Island, now known as the TI. I found an empty bj table and quickly lost 5 straight $10 hands. Changing tables I bought in for another $50 and went through that in about 8 hands. From up to down in about 15 minutes...
Leaving the TI, I walked through Mirage, Caesars Palace Forum Shops (where I got completely turned around and disoriented) and Bellagio. I was just checking out the sites and enjoying my hike along the Strip, though a little perturbed for turning my profit into a loss. I worked my way back to Bally's by 2 p.m. and decided to leave the Strip and go to the Suncoast.
My longtime friend Terry asked me to make a bet for him: He wants the Arizona Cardinals to win the Superbowl at 5-1 odds. Only the Suncoast offered 5-1 odds, the Strip places only had them at 4-1. Anyway, I drove to the Suncoast to buy Terry's ticket and while there I decided to play a little blackjack.
The Suncoast has been my own personal ATM lately. I've taken more than $2,000 out of that casino in recent trips and hoped today would be no different.
I bought in for $100 and after an up-and-down start, I found myself up $150, then $200, then $300. I played for about an hour and eventually cashed out up $365. So subtracting the $30 I lost on the Strip, today's profit was $335. A good lesson in fiscal fitness.
Helen finally finished her sewing project today. It's something special for someone special, that's why I haven't explained many details about it. While I was huffing and puffing along the LV Strip, she was relaxing at home, sewing, reading her book "Arabian Jazz" and watching some TV. We both had fun and tomorrow the adventure continues...
So I left the apartment around 9 a.m. and drove to the Bally's parking deck. By 9:30 I was checking out the casino's poker room, which was absolutely empty. No tables going, no dealers, no one at all. I've never seen it completely shut down. The rest of the casino was also pretty dead. Looking for a blackjack table, I saw a total of three open - two $10 tables that were full and a $25 table with one lone player. Bally's was quiet on this Wednesday morning.
I ambled over to Bill's Gambling Hall and played for a while, winning $26 before I went next door to check out the Flamingo. Looked at the poker room, but didn't play. Moved on to the Imperial Palace where it mirrored the action at Bally's - though the IP poker room was busy with a morning tournament.
My next stop was Harrah's where I walked through, but didn't play. I did a lot of walking and little playing this morning. But that's good. I need the exercise and walking is a good way for me to work off a few pounds. It was a beautiful day and the Strip was not too busy.
By the time I reached the Venetian, it was time for lunch. The V is home to one of my favorite Las Vegas eateries - the Grand Lux Cafe. Over the years, I've eaten here probably a dozen times and never had a bad meal. Today I opted for a lunch salad of mixed greens and grilled chicken with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was tasty and substantial enough to satisfy my hunger. One thing about the Grand Lux Cafe, they don't skimp on the portion size.
After lunch, I played some blackjack and won a little bit $45, so for the day I was up $71. That success came to a screeching halt when I crossed the Strip and entered Treasure Island, now known as the TI. I found an empty bj table and quickly lost 5 straight $10 hands. Changing tables I bought in for another $50 and went through that in about 8 hands. From up to down in about 15 minutes...
Leaving the TI, I walked through Mirage, Caesars Palace Forum Shops (where I got completely turned around and disoriented) and Bellagio. I was just checking out the sites and enjoying my hike along the Strip, though a little perturbed for turning my profit into a loss. I worked my way back to Bally's by 2 p.m. and decided to leave the Strip and go to the Suncoast.
My longtime friend Terry asked me to make a bet for him: He wants the Arizona Cardinals to win the Superbowl at 5-1 odds. Only the Suncoast offered 5-1 odds, the Strip places only had them at 4-1. Anyway, I drove to the Suncoast to buy Terry's ticket and while there I decided to play a little blackjack.
The Suncoast has been my own personal ATM lately. I've taken more than $2,000 out of that casino in recent trips and hoped today would be no different.
I bought in for $100 and after an up-and-down start, I found myself up $150, then $200, then $300. I played for about an hour and eventually cashed out up $365. So subtracting the $30 I lost on the Strip, today's profit was $335. A good lesson in fiscal fitness.
Helen finally finished her sewing project today. It's something special for someone special, that's why I haven't explained many details about it. While I was huffing and puffing along the LV Strip, she was relaxing at home, sewing, reading her book "Arabian Jazz" and watching some TV. We both had fun and tomorrow the adventure continues...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Another Day, Another Pile of Cash
My day began with a quick trip to the grocery store where I picked up a few things we needed - salad fixings, fruit, yogurt, hand lotion, and some other things. Somehow it cost almost $75. Food here is expensive - eggs $2.99 a dozen, apples $1.99 a pound, cucumbers and green peppers $1 each.
Got the groceries and Helen was still working on her sewing project, so I wandered over to the Suncoast Casino to see if my blackjack luck was still running hot. I sat down at a $10 table with one other player and right away hit a blackjack. Over the next 90 minutes or so, I hit 11 blackjacks. I know the exact number because that's how many stamps I got in the casino's "Win a Trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl" contest that's running. I now have 23 entry forms in the drawing barrel.
In addition to the aces-with-faces, I was just hitting hand after hand. Dealer had 19, I had 20. Dealer had 20, I drew to 21. It was amazing. When I stopped playing I was up $550.
I took a break and enjoyed a buffet lunch - grilled chicken, a bbq rib, a vegetable medley of squash, zuccini and asparagus and a slice of banana creme pie.
Then I checked out the sports book where I made a pair of $20 basketball bets - one parlay and one teaser. The parlay lost, but right now the teaser is still alive (Ohio St., Bradley, N. Illinois, CMU and Kansas St.) and will pay $100 when (or if) it wins. While at the sports book, I checked out the Super Bowl Lines. The Steelers are 1-1, the Eagles are 7-5, the Ravens and Cardinals are both 5-1 longshots.
I decided to take my profits and run a few errands. On the way out, I went past a row of 25-Cent Deuces Wild poker machines. So on a whim, I sat down and shoved in a $20. I hardly ever play the Deuces Wild games, but thought I'd give it a try. It was down and up and down and down until I had only $3 left. Then I got a hand with two 2s and a J. I drew the other 2 deuces and checked the pay scale as the credits began to roll up. FOUR DEUCES PAID 1,000 CREDITS - $250! Sweeeeeet! It's the largest payout I've ever hit on a video poker machine, LOL!
I played it down to $220, cashed the ticket and left immediately to run some errands. I got the Vue washed, had the oil changed and gassed it up. Stopped at the post office to buy stamps and visited the Middle Eastern Market to pick up fresh pita bread.
When I got home, Helen was still working on her sewing project. She was happy because she finally received a package from J Jill that she ordered weeks ago. Tonight we're just relaxing, watching TV and wondering what adventure will take place tomorrow...
Got the groceries and Helen was still working on her sewing project, so I wandered over to the Suncoast Casino to see if my blackjack luck was still running hot. I sat down at a $10 table with one other player and right away hit a blackjack. Over the next 90 minutes or so, I hit 11 blackjacks. I know the exact number because that's how many stamps I got in the casino's "Win a Trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl" contest that's running. I now have 23 entry forms in the drawing barrel.
In addition to the aces-with-faces, I was just hitting hand after hand. Dealer had 19, I had 20. Dealer had 20, I drew to 21. It was amazing. When I stopped playing I was up $550.
I took a break and enjoyed a buffet lunch - grilled chicken, a bbq rib, a vegetable medley of squash, zuccini and asparagus and a slice of banana creme pie.
Then I checked out the sports book where I made a pair of $20 basketball bets - one parlay and one teaser. The parlay lost, but right now the teaser is still alive (Ohio St., Bradley, N. Illinois, CMU and Kansas St.) and will pay $100 when (or if) it wins. While at the sports book, I checked out the Super Bowl Lines. The Steelers are 1-1, the Eagles are 7-5, the Ravens and Cardinals are both 5-1 longshots.
I decided to take my profits and run a few errands. On the way out, I went past a row of 25-Cent Deuces Wild poker machines. So on a whim, I sat down and shoved in a $20. I hardly ever play the Deuces Wild games, but thought I'd give it a try. It was down and up and down and down until I had only $3 left. Then I got a hand with two 2s and a J. I drew the other 2 deuces and checked the pay scale as the credits began to roll up. FOUR DEUCES PAID 1,000 CREDITS - $250! Sweeeeeet! It's the largest payout I've ever hit on a video poker machine, LOL!
I played it down to $220, cashed the ticket and left immediately to run some errands. I got the Vue washed, had the oil changed and gassed it up. Stopped at the post office to buy stamps and visited the Middle Eastern Market to pick up fresh pita bread.
When I got home, Helen was still working on her sewing project. She was happy because she finally received a package from J Jill that she ordered weeks ago. Tonight we're just relaxing, watching TV and wondering what adventure will take place tomorrow...
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wastin' Away at Margaritaville
Helen and I have long planned to have another lunch at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant at the Flamingo.
Last winter we stopped in there for some sandwiches and while there we saw another table dining on a HUGE order of nachos. So all year we vowed to share an order of those Volcano Nachos when we returned to Margaritaville.
Before heading to the Strip, we stopped at Walmart where we bought a Bissell vacuum and some cleaning supplies. Last year we paid a young woman $100 a month to clean our apartment every two weeks. She really didn't do that great a job, so this year we decided to do the cleaning ourselves. It's only a one bedroom place and doesn't get that dirty.
Anyway, we picked out the vacuum and the cleaning items and rolled on down to the Strip. We parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and went next door to the Flamingo and into Margaritaville where we enjoyed a HEFTY order of Volcano Nachos that were stacked some 8-10 inches high and loaded with taco beef, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole and green onions. It was really tasty and we'll be having it again. The nachos, plus two large diet cokes came to $25 with tip.
After lunch we visited the Margaritaville gift shop and looked at the overpriced tees ($22 for a basic "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" shirt). There was plenty of stuff for us Buffet fans and even devoted Parrotheads, but it was just a little too pricey.
Then we used the bridge elevators and crossed the street to visit Caesars Palace where we had our first celebrity sighting of the trip. We were almost into CP when a guy with a white sleeveless shirt that said "Holyfield" on the front came walking toward us. I noticed the shirt first, then saw his face.
It was Evander Holyfield, walking toward us with a woman. The ex-champ is a pretty recognizable guy and I'm sure it was him. If I was more alert, I could have checked his ear where Tyson nibbled on it. By the time I recognized him, they were past us.
So we went on through CP and into the Forum shops where we window shopped for about an hour. We took a rest break and found a 25-cent Wheel of Fortune machine. I slipped a $20 into the machine and on the fourth spin, I hit the Bonus Spin and heard that festive "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" cheer! The wheel settled on 100 pts ($25) and I immediately cashed out. We had turned our $20 into $42, WOOHOO!!!
The we headed home and relaxed until I made us a couple of hefty salads for dinner. It was a fun day and Helen really enjoyed her time on the Strip. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Last winter we stopped in there for some sandwiches and while there we saw another table dining on a HUGE order of nachos. So all year we vowed to share an order of those Volcano Nachos when we returned to Margaritaville.
Before heading to the Strip, we stopped at Walmart where we bought a Bissell vacuum and some cleaning supplies. Last year we paid a young woman $100 a month to clean our apartment every two weeks. She really didn't do that great a job, so this year we decided to do the cleaning ourselves. It's only a one bedroom place and doesn't get that dirty.
Anyway, we picked out the vacuum and the cleaning items and rolled on down to the Strip. We parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and went next door to the Flamingo and into Margaritaville where we enjoyed a HEFTY order of Volcano Nachos that were stacked some 8-10 inches high and loaded with taco beef, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole and green onions. It was really tasty and we'll be having it again. The nachos, plus two large diet cokes came to $25 with tip.
After lunch we visited the Margaritaville gift shop and looked at the overpriced tees ($22 for a basic "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" shirt). There was plenty of stuff for us Buffet fans and even devoted Parrotheads, but it was just a little too pricey.
Then we used the bridge elevators and crossed the street to visit Caesars Palace where we had our first celebrity sighting of the trip. We were almost into CP when a guy with a white sleeveless shirt that said "Holyfield" on the front came walking toward us. I noticed the shirt first, then saw his face.
It was Evander Holyfield, walking toward us with a woman. The ex-champ is a pretty recognizable guy and I'm sure it was him. If I was more alert, I could have checked his ear where Tyson nibbled on it. By the time I recognized him, they were past us.
So we went on through CP and into the Forum shops where we window shopped for about an hour. We took a rest break and found a 25-cent Wheel of Fortune machine. I slipped a $20 into the machine and on the fourth spin, I hit the Bonus Spin and heard that festive "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" cheer! The wheel settled on 100 pts ($25) and I immediately cashed out. We had turned our $20 into $42, WOOHOO!!!
The we headed home and relaxed until I made us a couple of hefty salads for dinner. It was a fun day and Helen really enjoyed her time on the Strip. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Weekend Update - Like Buttah,We're on a Roll!
Nothing but profits this weekend on the gambling front.
On Saturday, I went to play poker and blackjack on the Strip with the remnants of the Computer Electronics Show, some 140,000 visitors to LV, including hundreds of media types.
My first stop though was the Red Rock, to buy some sports tickets. I put $25 on MSU and a $20 parlay of MSU, Providence and the Red Wings. Luckilly, the Wings banged home two goals in the last 3 minutes and they all hit and I cashed for $177.
I got to the Bally's poker room around 9 a.m. and won $32 in about 45 minutes. I sensed things going bad, so I left Bally's and went to Bill's Gambling Hall where I bought in for $100 at a blackjack table. I quickly went down, down until I changed tables where I went up, up...after about 30 minutes, I was up $12, so I walked with that small profit.
My next stop was the Imperial Palace sports book where I checked out a few games, but made no bets. I did have lunch at the Burger Palace, a grilled chicken sandwich, before resuming my trek north down the Strip. Harrah's invited me in, so I sat at a handicapped accessible table. Those are special lower tables that use regular chairs and are infinitely more comfortable than most blackjack tables. This was one of my better runs and I was quickly up $70, but when I lost two $10 hands, I made a quick exit with my $50 profit. There were also some uber-loud fratboy types at the next table and it was just not a comfortable situation, so I left.
I crossed the Strip to the Mirage, making my first visit there since last year. It was a pretty rude greeting from the Mirage, I bought in for $100 and was down to $20 before you could say "Eye-popping Volcano." I switched tables, bought in for another hundred and began winning. When the green felt dust settled, I was up $40, so I quit for the day.
Total for the day - +$102 in blackjack and +32 in poker for a total of $134.
Helen and I celebrated with Cheesecake Factory takeout - a southwest chicken salad for her and a hefty order of Buffalo Wings and fries for me.
Today I went over the Suncoast to watch the fb games and play some blackjack. The result was the most profitable blackjack session of the entire winter.
I made four sports bets - winning on U-M and Ohio U hoops games and losing on Penn State and a football parlay of both underdogs and both unders. I went 2-2 on those actually winning $2.50 in the process.
But it was at blackjack where my luck shined today. I bought in for $200 and played even for 30 minutes or so. Then I caught fire winning 3-4 bets in a row several times. I never bet more than $25 a hand, but soon found myself up $500 or $600 when a pit boss came over to watch my play. He offered to comp me the champagne brunch and I accepted.
"I've been watching you and you're winning most of the hands," he said. "But you're not betting enough."
I was a little suspicious, thinking he wanted me to give it all back in a run of big bets, but I did press my bets up to the $30 to $50 range. The great run continued. A couple of times I won $100 on a hand when I had $50 bet and successfully doubled down. I never did lose a big bet. It was really fun.
After losing 3-4 hands, I took a break for the buffet where I enjoyed some fried chicken, bbq ribs, fried rice, and asparagus. Of course, I had to have a glass of champagne, LOL. And a slice of banana cream pie for dessert.
Then I went to the sports book to catch the Steelers-Chargers game. I watched the game, until my parlay was an official loser, then headed home.
My profit for the blackjack was $1,140 - my first four-figure session!!
While I was racking up chips, Helen was working on her sewing project and just talked to her sisters Natalie and Susan. Now we'll have to find something for dinner. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
On Saturday, I went to play poker and blackjack on the Strip with the remnants of the Computer Electronics Show, some 140,000 visitors to LV, including hundreds of media types.
My first stop though was the Red Rock, to buy some sports tickets. I put $25 on MSU and a $20 parlay of MSU, Providence and the Red Wings. Luckilly, the Wings banged home two goals in the last 3 minutes and they all hit and I cashed for $177.
I got to the Bally's poker room around 9 a.m. and won $32 in about 45 minutes. I sensed things going bad, so I left Bally's and went to Bill's Gambling Hall where I bought in for $100 at a blackjack table. I quickly went down, down until I changed tables where I went up, up...after about 30 minutes, I was up $12, so I walked with that small profit.
My next stop was the Imperial Palace sports book where I checked out a few games, but made no bets. I did have lunch at the Burger Palace, a grilled chicken sandwich, before resuming my trek north down the Strip. Harrah's invited me in, so I sat at a handicapped accessible table. Those are special lower tables that use regular chairs and are infinitely more comfortable than most blackjack tables. This was one of my better runs and I was quickly up $70, but when I lost two $10 hands, I made a quick exit with my $50 profit. There were also some uber-loud fratboy types at the next table and it was just not a comfortable situation, so I left.
I crossed the Strip to the Mirage, making my first visit there since last year. It was a pretty rude greeting from the Mirage, I bought in for $100 and was down to $20 before you could say "Eye-popping Volcano." I switched tables, bought in for another hundred and began winning. When the green felt dust settled, I was up $40, so I quit for the day.
Total for the day - +$102 in blackjack and +32 in poker for a total of $134.
Helen and I celebrated with Cheesecake Factory takeout - a southwest chicken salad for her and a hefty order of Buffalo Wings and fries for me.
Today I went over the Suncoast to watch the fb games and play some blackjack. The result was the most profitable blackjack session of the entire winter.
I made four sports bets - winning on U-M and Ohio U hoops games and losing on Penn State and a football parlay of both underdogs and both unders. I went 2-2 on those actually winning $2.50 in the process.
But it was at blackjack where my luck shined today. I bought in for $200 and played even for 30 minutes or so. Then I caught fire winning 3-4 bets in a row several times. I never bet more than $25 a hand, but soon found myself up $500 or $600 when a pit boss came over to watch my play. He offered to comp me the champagne brunch and I accepted.
"I've been watching you and you're winning most of the hands," he said. "But you're not betting enough."
I was a little suspicious, thinking he wanted me to give it all back in a run of big bets, but I did press my bets up to the $30 to $50 range. The great run continued. A couple of times I won $100 on a hand when I had $50 bet and successfully doubled down. I never did lose a big bet. It was really fun.
After losing 3-4 hands, I took a break for the buffet where I enjoyed some fried chicken, bbq ribs, fried rice, and asparagus. Of course, I had to have a glass of champagne, LOL. And a slice of banana cream pie for dessert.
Then I went to the sports book to catch the Steelers-Chargers game. I watched the game, until my parlay was an official loser, then headed home.
My profit for the blackjack was $1,140 - my first four-figure session!!
While I was racking up chips, Helen was working on her sewing project and just talked to her sisters Natalie and Susan. Now we'll have to find something for dinner. Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Friday, January 9, 2009
'Gran Torino' is a Grand Treat
Helen and I went to the Suncoast casino this afternoon to see Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino," which was filmed last year in the Detroit area.
It's the compelling tale of Walt Kowalski, a retired autoworker and Korean War vet who is very outspoken about his racist attitudes toward Asians, Blacks, Jews and other minorities. Walt's new neighbors are a Hmong family, who are tormented by a local Hmong gang who want the boy, Tao, to join them. Walt eventually warms up to his neighbors, shares their meals, and defends them against the gang. This is a simplification of the plot and there are other subplots involving Walt's family, his relationship with the local parish priest, and his treasured 1972 Gran Torino.
What I liked about this film is how it honestly captured some of the attitudes and feelings that I recognized among my father's friends and the fathers of guys I grew up with. These are the blue-collar, shot-and-a-beer guys in the 1960s and '70s who worked at Ford's, McLouth's, GM, Chrysler, and other plants in the Detroit area.
Ironically, I once owned a Gran Torino. In 1972, when I came out of the Air Force, I bought a 1969 Ford Gran Torino convertible. It was white with a blue leather interior, bucket seats, auto on the floor, a SWEET ride! I kept it for about 4 years til the transmission started giving me problems, then I sold it and bought a Fiat (what a mistake that was).
Anyway, Eastwood deserves an Oscar nomination for both his acting and directing of "Gran Torino." We highly recommend it, especially if you like Eastwood.
Before we saw the movie, Helen and I had lunch at a TGI Friday's that is right at the Suncoast. I had a half-rack of ribs and fries, while Helen munched on a California Club sandwich and fries. It was a nice meal for only $22.
We still had 15 minutes or so to kill before the movie, so I threw a $20 into a 25-cent video poker machine and only played a few hands when we hit a diamond flush and cashed out with $25 - a nice $5 profit on our only gambling of the day!
Arriving home at 5 p.m. after the movie, we watched a little TV and then I made us a couple of hefty salads for dinner. Right now we're just relaxing in anticipation of tomorrow when the adventure continues...
It's the compelling tale of Walt Kowalski, a retired autoworker and Korean War vet who is very outspoken about his racist attitudes toward Asians, Blacks, Jews and other minorities. Walt's new neighbors are a Hmong family, who are tormented by a local Hmong gang who want the boy, Tao, to join them. Walt eventually warms up to his neighbors, shares their meals, and defends them against the gang. This is a simplification of the plot and there are other subplots involving Walt's family, his relationship with the local parish priest, and his treasured 1972 Gran Torino.
What I liked about this film is how it honestly captured some of the attitudes and feelings that I recognized among my father's friends and the fathers of guys I grew up with. These are the blue-collar, shot-and-a-beer guys in the 1960s and '70s who worked at Ford's, McLouth's, GM, Chrysler, and other plants in the Detroit area.
Ironically, I once owned a Gran Torino. In 1972, when I came out of the Air Force, I bought a 1969 Ford Gran Torino convertible. It was white with a blue leather interior, bucket seats, auto on the floor, a SWEET ride! I kept it for about 4 years til the transmission started giving me problems, then I sold it and bought a Fiat (what a mistake that was).
Anyway, Eastwood deserves an Oscar nomination for both his acting and directing of "Gran Torino." We highly recommend it, especially if you like Eastwood.
Before we saw the movie, Helen and I had lunch at a TGI Friday's that is right at the Suncoast. I had a half-rack of ribs and fries, while Helen munched on a California Club sandwich and fries. It was a nice meal for only $22.
We still had 15 minutes or so to kill before the movie, so I threw a $20 into a 25-cent video poker machine and only played a few hands when we hit a diamond flush and cashed out with $25 - a nice $5 profit on our only gambling of the day!
Arriving home at 5 p.m. after the movie, we watched a little TV and then I made us a couple of hefty salads for dinner. Right now we're just relaxing in anticipation of tomorrow when the adventure continues...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Winner Winner, Chicken (Salad) Dinner!
My friend Gary asked me to buy him a 4-team hockey parlay ticket if I was going near any casino today, so I went over to the Suncoast about 8:30 to get his wager down.
While there, I bought myself a $25 ticket on "under" 69.5 for tonight's BCS Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma. Just decided if these two teams could score 10 TDs, they could have my $25.
Soooo, after buying those tickets, I sat at a $5 blackjack table and in less than 45 minutes, rang up a profit of $101. I had set a goal of winning $100 and as soon as I did, I cashed in. You have to have discipline to be a winner!
Helen was still working on her sewing project, so she sent me down to the MGM to play poker. Luckily, I was able to sit right down at a $1-2 No Limit game immediately. In fact there were two seats to choose from - No. 1 and No. 10. For those who aren't familiar with poker seating, No. 1 is right to the left of the dealer and 10 is to the dealer's right. I usually prefer seats 4-7 which are opposite the dealer and easier to see all the action.
I bought in for $100 and didn't play a hand for 15-20 minutes. I won a couple of pots, then lost a couple. I was down to $45 when I looked at my hole cards and saw Q-Q staring back at me. I bet $15 and got a couple of callers. The flop was 10-6-2. I went All-In with $30 and got one caller, a guy in a Miami University sweatshirt, who also had only $30 left. The turn and river didn't hit me, but didn't help Mr. Miami, either, and he looked disgusted as he showed his J-J. SWEET!
A husband and wife couple from Calgary sat in the 3-4 seats. I overheard the husband say "That guy dresses like a tourist, but plays like a local." Clad in my Hilo Hattie Hawaiian shirt and Margaritaville ball cap, I took that as a compliment.
Mr. Miami bought in for another $100 and a few hands later we tangled again. This time, I looked down at A-A and bet $15. Three guys called - including Mr. Miami and a Norwegian guy. When there were no pairs on the flop, Mr. Miami went all-in with about $60. I had about $150 in front of me and I went All-In, hoping to drive out the other two guys so I could only go against Mr. Miami. It worked. The other two folded and it was Mr. M and I in card-to-card combat.
When the dust settled, there was a pair of 6s on board, but I showed my A-A and Mr. Miami flipped over K-K. Then he left the table.
Those were highlight winning hands, but there were several hands that I lost - including flopping a set of 4s and losing to a flush on the river, and losing pocket J-J on the river to a K. But that's poker.
After about 5 hours of playing, I ended up $17 ahead in poker. Not a huge profit, but better than losing. Between the bj and the poker, I won $118 for the day and still have my "under" fb bet going.
When I got home, around 5 p.m., Helen was busy sewing. She had been watching some TV and talking with Anna during the day, in addition to working on her project. It was a fun day for both of us.
I gave Helen the choice of spaghetti and meatballs or Chicken Salad Sandwiches for dinner. She opted for the sandwiches and I was glad. Much easier to fix and pretty tasty!
Tomorrow we're planning on going to see a movie,"The Tale of Despereaux," at the Red Rock Casino. We'll do lunch there before hitting the 3:15 p.m. matinee. The adventure continues...
While there, I bought myself a $25 ticket on "under" 69.5 for tonight's BCS Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma. Just decided if these two teams could score 10 TDs, they could have my $25.
Soooo, after buying those tickets, I sat at a $5 blackjack table and in less than 45 minutes, rang up a profit of $101. I had set a goal of winning $100 and as soon as I did, I cashed in. You have to have discipline to be a winner!
Helen was still working on her sewing project, so she sent me down to the MGM to play poker. Luckily, I was able to sit right down at a $1-2 No Limit game immediately. In fact there were two seats to choose from - No. 1 and No. 10. For those who aren't familiar with poker seating, No. 1 is right to the left of the dealer and 10 is to the dealer's right. I usually prefer seats 4-7 which are opposite the dealer and easier to see all the action.
I bought in for $100 and didn't play a hand for 15-20 minutes. I won a couple of pots, then lost a couple. I was down to $45 when I looked at my hole cards and saw Q-Q staring back at me. I bet $15 and got a couple of callers. The flop was 10-6-2. I went All-In with $30 and got one caller, a guy in a Miami University sweatshirt, who also had only $30 left. The turn and river didn't hit me, but didn't help Mr. Miami, either, and he looked disgusted as he showed his J-J. SWEET!
A husband and wife couple from Calgary sat in the 3-4 seats. I overheard the husband say "That guy dresses like a tourist, but plays like a local." Clad in my Hilo Hattie Hawaiian shirt and Margaritaville ball cap, I took that as a compliment.
Mr. Miami bought in for another $100 and a few hands later we tangled again. This time, I looked down at A-A and bet $15. Three guys called - including Mr. Miami and a Norwegian guy. When there were no pairs on the flop, Mr. Miami went all-in with about $60. I had about $150 in front of me and I went All-In, hoping to drive out the other two guys so I could only go against Mr. Miami. It worked. The other two folded and it was Mr. M and I in card-to-card combat.
When the dust settled, there was a pair of 6s on board, but I showed my A-A and Mr. Miami flipped over K-K. Then he left the table.
Those were highlight winning hands, but there were several hands that I lost - including flopping a set of 4s and losing to a flush on the river, and losing pocket J-J on the river to a K. But that's poker.
After about 5 hours of playing, I ended up $17 ahead in poker. Not a huge profit, but better than losing. Between the bj and the poker, I won $118 for the day and still have my "under" fb bet going.
When I got home, around 5 p.m., Helen was busy sewing. She had been watching some TV and talking with Anna during the day, in addition to working on her project. It was a fun day for both of us.
I gave Helen the choice of spaghetti and meatballs or Chicken Salad Sandwiches for dinner. She opted for the sandwiches and I was glad. Much easier to fix and pretty tasty!
Tomorrow we're planning on going to see a movie,"The Tale of Despereaux," at the Red Rock Casino. We'll do lunch there before hitting the 3:15 p.m. matinee. The adventure continues...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Poker + Blackjack = A Profit
One day after winning $949, I was determined not to give back any of our profits.
But I had to visit the Suncoast to cash a pair of football teaser tickets totalling $130 (thanks Tulsa). So while I was there I slid into a $1-2 No Limit poker game. This didn't go too well. I played for about an hour and went through half of my $100 buy-in without winning any hefty pots. I took down a couple of $10-12 pots, but mostly just blinded my money away $1 or $2 at a time.
So after an hour, I took a break and visited the sports book to see if there were any juicy investment opportunities there. Nothing jumped out at me. The Pistons are playing tonight, but they are too erratic to put any money on. I did notice that they are 15-1 longshots to win the NBA title. The Lakers are 6-5, while the Celtics are 2-1 and the Cavs are 3-1.
Lunch was a 75 cent hotdog and bottled water.
Then I decided to check out the blackjack tables. I found a nice $5 table and for the next 3 hours it was up-down-up-down-up-down-down-up-up. The only highlight was when one guy playing third base decided to stay on a A-3, despite the dealer pointing out that he had a total of 4. The guy simply refused to take a card, the dealer made 17 and everyone at the table won, except for Mister I Love 4s.
When the dust settled over the green felt, I was up $110 at bj, making the profit for the day $60 due to the listless poker session. Not a great day, but still better than losing.
I arrived home around 4 p.m. to find Helen working on her sewing project, which is coming along nicely. Dinner was a couple of hefty salads that I built using baby spinach, romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, salsa, mushrooms, red onions and shredded cheddar cheese. We're trying to eat healthier and these salads are a big part of our daily diet now.
Tonight we're just watching TV and relaxing. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
But I had to visit the Suncoast to cash a pair of football teaser tickets totalling $130 (thanks Tulsa). So while I was there I slid into a $1-2 No Limit poker game. This didn't go too well. I played for about an hour and went through half of my $100 buy-in without winning any hefty pots. I took down a couple of $10-12 pots, but mostly just blinded my money away $1 or $2 at a time.
So after an hour, I took a break and visited the sports book to see if there were any juicy investment opportunities there. Nothing jumped out at me. The Pistons are playing tonight, but they are too erratic to put any money on. I did notice that they are 15-1 longshots to win the NBA title. The Lakers are 6-5, while the Celtics are 2-1 and the Cavs are 3-1.
Lunch was a 75 cent hotdog and bottled water.
Then I decided to check out the blackjack tables. I found a nice $5 table and for the next 3 hours it was up-down-up-down-up-down-down-up-up. The only highlight was when one guy playing third base decided to stay on a A-3, despite the dealer pointing out that he had a total of 4. The guy simply refused to take a card, the dealer made 17 and everyone at the table won, except for Mister I Love 4s.
When the dust settled over the green felt, I was up $110 at bj, making the profit for the day $60 due to the listless poker session. Not a great day, but still better than losing.
I arrived home around 4 p.m. to find Helen working on her sewing project, which is coming along nicely. Dinner was a couple of hefty salads that I built using baby spinach, romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, salsa, mushrooms, red onions and shredded cheddar cheese. We're trying to eat healthier and these salads are a big part of our daily diet now.
Tonight we're just watching TV and relaxing. But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
I Don't Know How These Casinos Stay in Business
Helen began her sewing project today, so I left early to find a juicy poker game down on the Strip.
I arrived at Bally's around 9 a.m. and went to the poker room where there was only one table going and a waiting list of 4-5 names. No way was I waiting there, so I went across the street through Bill's Gambling Hall and into the Flamingo. The poker room there, once the home of such poker legends as Amarillo Slim, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss, was dead. Only one game going and it was a 2-4 Limit game, which I really don't like playing.
So it was on to the Imperial Palace where I decided to play a little blackjack and lost my $60 buy-in in less than 10 minutes. My next stop was O'Shea's, a small casino that is owned by Harrahs. Another $60 loss at blackjack. This was not going well, but sometimes you have to go down before you rise to victory.
A quick walk to Harrah's where I checked out the poker room. They had a tourney going and only 1 no limit table going. I just didn't like the vibe, so I looked for a blackjack table. Finally found a $10 minimum table and settled in for a very nice session, running my $100 buy-in up to $360 in about an hour. That covered my early losses and left me up $140. Time to take a break for lunch, which was a slice of pizza and a diet coke back at the Sbarro pizza near the Bally's sports book.
After lunch I enjoyed a cigar break at the Bally's sports book and watched a couple of horse races.
Then I went upstairs and found a $10 table at Bally's. There were two older women there, both were using power wheelchairs to get around the casino. I bought in for $100 and as soon as I sat down, the chips started coming. In no time I was up $200, then $400. The women, both from Kerrville Texas, were also winning. We had a great time cheering and rooting for each other when we won. The dealer seemed to break every other hand and we were all scoring blackjacks regularly. It was GREAT fun!
The Texas Two-some were pretty impressed that I actually knew where their hometown was. Kerrville is a small community along US-10, the road we took to Katy when we visited Anna and her family for Christmas. I mentioned to the women that I had heard Kerrville was a speed trap and they both laughed in recognition. "It sure is," one of them said.
As our good run continued, I pressed my bets up from $10 to $15 to $25 a hand. The chips just seemed to pile up steadily. I kept pretty close track of my chips and when I realized there were almost $1,000 in front of me, I decided to take the profit and run.
When I got to the car, I did a quick cash count and computed my profit for the day -- $949. That's my best session of the trip, so far, and one of my best since last winter. It was a fun drive home from the Strip!
Helen had spent the day beginning her sewing project, pinning the pattern to the fabric and cutting out the material. She was pretty pleased by my success today and I gave her a nice share of the profits. Whenever I win, I always make sure she shares in our victory. I couldn't enjoy the financial success that I do unless I had her unwavering support. We're a team, all the way.
To celebrate, our dinner choice was takeout from Del Taco, a Mexican fastfood place nearby. It was tasty and I overate on a big ol' burrito and a chicken quesadilla. Helen made a better choice with a veggie burrito.
Tonight we're watching Tulsa dismantle Ball State in the pouring rain. Right now it's 45-13 with 8 minutes to go. The Tulsa win gives me two winning fb teaser tickets that will pay $70 for one and $60 for the other. Those are my first winning sports bets in quite a while. Hopefully that will turn around my sports investment fortunes.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
I arrived at Bally's around 9 a.m. and went to the poker room where there was only one table going and a waiting list of 4-5 names. No way was I waiting there, so I went across the street through Bill's Gambling Hall and into the Flamingo. The poker room there, once the home of such poker legends as Amarillo Slim, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss, was dead. Only one game going and it was a 2-4 Limit game, which I really don't like playing.
So it was on to the Imperial Palace where I decided to play a little blackjack and lost my $60 buy-in in less than 10 minutes. My next stop was O'Shea's, a small casino that is owned by Harrahs. Another $60 loss at blackjack. This was not going well, but sometimes you have to go down before you rise to victory.
A quick walk to Harrah's where I checked out the poker room. They had a tourney going and only 1 no limit table going. I just didn't like the vibe, so I looked for a blackjack table. Finally found a $10 minimum table and settled in for a very nice session, running my $100 buy-in up to $360 in about an hour. That covered my early losses and left me up $140. Time to take a break for lunch, which was a slice of pizza and a diet coke back at the Sbarro pizza near the Bally's sports book.
After lunch I enjoyed a cigar break at the Bally's sports book and watched a couple of horse races.
Then I went upstairs and found a $10 table at Bally's. There were two older women there, both were using power wheelchairs to get around the casino. I bought in for $100 and as soon as I sat down, the chips started coming. In no time I was up $200, then $400. The women, both from Kerrville Texas, were also winning. We had a great time cheering and rooting for each other when we won. The dealer seemed to break every other hand and we were all scoring blackjacks regularly. It was GREAT fun!
The Texas Two-some were pretty impressed that I actually knew where their hometown was. Kerrville is a small community along US-10, the road we took to Katy when we visited Anna and her family for Christmas. I mentioned to the women that I had heard Kerrville was a speed trap and they both laughed in recognition. "It sure is," one of them said.
As our good run continued, I pressed my bets up from $10 to $15 to $25 a hand. The chips just seemed to pile up steadily. I kept pretty close track of my chips and when I realized there were almost $1,000 in front of me, I decided to take the profit and run.
When I got to the car, I did a quick cash count and computed my profit for the day -- $949. That's my best session of the trip, so far, and one of my best since last winter. It was a fun drive home from the Strip!
Helen had spent the day beginning her sewing project, pinning the pattern to the fabric and cutting out the material. She was pretty pleased by my success today and I gave her a nice share of the profits. Whenever I win, I always make sure she shares in our victory. I couldn't enjoy the financial success that I do unless I had her unwavering support. We're a team, all the way.
To celebrate, our dinner choice was takeout from Del Taco, a Mexican fastfood place nearby. It was tasty and I overate on a big ol' burrito and a chicken quesadilla. Helen made a better choice with a veggie burrito.
Tonight we're watching Tulsa dismantle Ball State in the pouring rain. Right now it's 45-13 with 8 minutes to go. The Tulsa win gives me two winning fb teaser tickets that will pay $70 for one and $60 for the other. Those are my first winning sports bets in quite a while. Hopefully that will turn around my sports investment fortunes.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Jo-Ann, You're a loser - Hancock, you rule!
Today was devoted to locating some fabric that Helen needs for a sewing project.
After looking through the phonebook and online, we located a Jo-Ann Fabrics store less than 10 miles from the apartment. So we drove over there and arrived around 11 a.m. While Helen went looking for her fabrics, I walked over to a Border's to kill time.
As soon as I got to Borders, my phone started the " low battery" beep, so I walked back to the car to be ready when Helen finished her shopping. A few minutes later, Helen called but she didn't find any fabric that she needed for her project. Turns out this "fabric" store was jammed with crafty crap, but didn't really have a very good assortment of fabrics. AAAARGH!!
Anyway, we drove home where I made us a lunch of turkey sandwiches. We decided to check for another fabric shop and Helen found Hancock's Fabrics, only a mile or so from the Jo-Ann's we just left. So we drove to the Hancock and parked outside this smaller store in a somewhat shabby part of LV.
But inside, Helen was able to find exactly what she needed. Since they didn't have any type of wheelchairs in the store, I went inside to assist her. Keep in mind, I am NO fan of fabric shops. But Helen really appreciated my help and said so several times. It only took 20 minutes or so and we were headed back to the apartment. Now Helen can crank up her sewing machine and work her magic on this sewing project.
For dinner, I whipped together some hefty Southwestern-style salads with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, mushrooms, salsa and grated cheese. Darn tasty and somewhat healthy.
Now we're watching the Ohio State-Texas game and, ironically, we're rooting for the Buckeyes. I have 3 fb bets involving the Buckeyes winning. All 3 bets also involve Tulsa beating Ball State on Tuesday, so even if OSU wins, I won't know how the wagers turn out til then.
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
After looking through the phonebook and online, we located a Jo-Ann Fabrics store less than 10 miles from the apartment. So we drove over there and arrived around 11 a.m. While Helen went looking for her fabrics, I walked over to a Border's to kill time.
As soon as I got to Borders, my phone started the " low battery" beep, so I walked back to the car to be ready when Helen finished her shopping. A few minutes later, Helen called but she didn't find any fabric that she needed for her project. Turns out this "fabric" store was jammed with crafty crap, but didn't really have a very good assortment of fabrics. AAAARGH!!
Anyway, we drove home where I made us a lunch of turkey sandwiches. We decided to check for another fabric shop and Helen found Hancock's Fabrics, only a mile or so from the Jo-Ann's we just left. So we drove to the Hancock and parked outside this smaller store in a somewhat shabby part of LV.
But inside, Helen was able to find exactly what she needed. Since they didn't have any type of wheelchairs in the store, I went inside to assist her. Keep in mind, I am NO fan of fabric shops. But Helen really appreciated my help and said so several times. It only took 20 minutes or so and we were headed back to the apartment. Now Helen can crank up her sewing machine and work her magic on this sewing project.
For dinner, I whipped together some hefty Southwestern-style salads with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, mushrooms, salsa and grated cheese. Darn tasty and somewhat healthy.
Now we're watching the Ohio State-Texas game and, ironically, we're rooting for the Buckeyes. I have 3 fb bets involving the Buckeyes winning. All 3 bets also involve Tulsa beating Ball State on Tuesday, so even if OSU wins, I won't know how the wagers turn out til then.
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Weekend Update
It's a quiet Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas (4:10 local time) and I'm watching the Vikings-Eagles play on TV while Helen is reading. Thought it would be a good time to catch up on our weekend activities.
Saturday morning I went to the Suncoast to get in some football bets and play blackjack. I laid my hard earned money on a Cardinals-Colts parlay, which turned to ashes when the inept Colts couldn't find a way to hold on to a 17-14 lead with about 4 minutes left.
Much better luck at blackjack where I posted a sweet winning session over some 4 hours of playing. I started around 1030 am and played til around 2 pm when I took a lunch break. One of the pit bosses comped me $15 at the snack bar, so I enjoyed a half of pastrami on rye, chips and a diet pepsi courtesy of the Suncoast. Then it was a return to card-to-card combat over the green felt of the blackjack table. When the dust settled around 4, I was up $140.
But one of the fun aspects of the day was a promotion that the Suncoast is running. They are going to send someone to the NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu Hawaii. On Jan. 24 they will draw an entry card from a big drum and the winner gets the airfare from LV, 4 nights in a hotel, game ticket and $1,000 cash. Every time you get a blackjack you earn a stamp on your entry card. A suited bj is worth two stamps. It takes 5 stamps to fill out the card, which you then enter into the big drum.
Anyway, over the 4-5 hours I was there, I had several blackjacks and filled out about 3 cards, but was really helped by other players. They would get the bjs and realize they would not be here for the drawing (ya have to be present to win) so they would give me their entry cards.
Two players, Kevin and an older Asian woman, both from LA, must have each given me 3-4 cards. As a result of their generosity, I have 13 entry cards in the contest, which will run for another 3 weeks. Hopefully I'll have 20-30 entry cards for the drawing...
In addition to the top prize, the casino will award 4 cash prizes of $250 each, and several items of football memorabilia, jerseys, autographed helmets, photos and footballs. I'll be sure to attend the drawing on Jan. 24.
This morning Helen and I drove down to Planet Hollywood to have brunch and do a bit of shopping at the casino's Miracle Mile shopping center. We've been here for a month now and this was Helen's first trip to the Strip. We arrived at the PH around 10:30 a.m. and went to Cheeseburger for brunch. Helen chose a Hawaiian Omelet with sausage, cheese and pineapple, while I chose Macadamia Pancakes with two eggs (over medium, thank you). It was really tasty and we both enjoyed our meals.
Then we went shopping through the vast arcade of the Miracle Mile. For those not familiar with this shopping site, the MM is only a notch or so under the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace. It may even top FS in the number of stores, if not the high prices. Anyway, we enjoyed checking out a number of shops, including two that sold autographed items of rockers, athletes and movie stars. Anyone need an autographed guitar signed by all four Beatles for only $175,000? Or how about a Van Halen autographed photo for $695?
We decided against any autographs, but Helen did pick up some jewelry that she liked.
During a break from shopping, we wandered into the PH casino and looked for a $5 or $10 blackjack game. Didn't find anything that looked good, so we sat down at a 25-cent video poker game. I slipped a $20 into the machine and played only 4 or 5 hands before I hit a full house that pushed our total up to $27.50. So for about 2 minutes work, I earned $7.50 - a 37.5% interest rate. I cashed out - Cha Ching!!
For dinner tonight, I'll whip up some salads for us. Got to eat a little light after that hefty breakfast we enjoyed, LOL.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Saturday morning I went to the Suncoast to get in some football bets and play blackjack. I laid my hard earned money on a Cardinals-Colts parlay, which turned to ashes when the inept Colts couldn't find a way to hold on to a 17-14 lead with about 4 minutes left.
Much better luck at blackjack where I posted a sweet winning session over some 4 hours of playing. I started around 1030 am and played til around 2 pm when I took a lunch break. One of the pit bosses comped me $15 at the snack bar, so I enjoyed a half of pastrami on rye, chips and a diet pepsi courtesy of the Suncoast. Then it was a return to card-to-card combat over the green felt of the blackjack table. When the dust settled around 4, I was up $140.
But one of the fun aspects of the day was a promotion that the Suncoast is running. They are going to send someone to the NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu Hawaii. On Jan. 24 they will draw an entry card from a big drum and the winner gets the airfare from LV, 4 nights in a hotel, game ticket and $1,000 cash. Every time you get a blackjack you earn a stamp on your entry card. A suited bj is worth two stamps. It takes 5 stamps to fill out the card, which you then enter into the big drum.
Anyway, over the 4-5 hours I was there, I had several blackjacks and filled out about 3 cards, but was really helped by other players. They would get the bjs and realize they would not be here for the drawing (ya have to be present to win) so they would give me their entry cards.
Two players, Kevin and an older Asian woman, both from LA, must have each given me 3-4 cards. As a result of their generosity, I have 13 entry cards in the contest, which will run for another 3 weeks. Hopefully I'll have 20-30 entry cards for the drawing...
In addition to the top prize, the casino will award 4 cash prizes of $250 each, and several items of football memorabilia, jerseys, autographed helmets, photos and footballs. I'll be sure to attend the drawing on Jan. 24.
This morning Helen and I drove down to Planet Hollywood to have brunch and do a bit of shopping at the casino's Miracle Mile shopping center. We've been here for a month now and this was Helen's first trip to the Strip. We arrived at the PH around 10:30 a.m. and went to Cheeseburger for brunch. Helen chose a Hawaiian Omelet with sausage, cheese and pineapple, while I chose Macadamia Pancakes with two eggs (over medium, thank you). It was really tasty and we both enjoyed our meals.
Then we went shopping through the vast arcade of the Miracle Mile. For those not familiar with this shopping site, the MM is only a notch or so under the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace. It may even top FS in the number of stores, if not the high prices. Anyway, we enjoyed checking out a number of shops, including two that sold autographed items of rockers, athletes and movie stars. Anyone need an autographed guitar signed by all four Beatles for only $175,000? Or how about a Van Halen autographed photo for $695?
We decided against any autographs, but Helen did pick up some jewelry that she liked.
During a break from shopping, we wandered into the PH casino and looked for a $5 or $10 blackjack game. Didn't find anything that looked good, so we sat down at a 25-cent video poker game. I slipped a $20 into the machine and played only 4 or 5 hands before I hit a full house that pushed our total up to $27.50. So for about 2 minutes work, I earned $7.50 - a 37.5% interest rate. I cashed out - Cha Ching!!
For dinner tonight, I'll whip up some salads for us. Got to eat a little light after that hefty breakfast we enjoyed, LOL.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Cotton Bowl, Shmotton Bowl!!!!
It's a sad day at 9550 West Sahara, Suite 1136 in Las Vegas.
Despite Helen and I donning our beautiful Black & Red Texas Tech Cotton Bowl 2009 t-shirts (compliments of Anna) we watched the Red Raiders stumble, bumble and fumble their way to a 47-34 loss to Ol' Miss on Friday.
It was painful to watch the Tech defense play so poorly. The offense put up 34 points, but the Rebels shredded Tech's defense time after time. It was a sad end to a good season by Tech. It also cost me $25 that I put on the Red Raiders.
Earlier in the day, Helen and I went to Target on a shopping spree, courtesy of gift cards from Luis and Anna. In a flurry of spending, we bought a canister set, a set of cookware, and an iron and ironing board. Thanks to a gift card from Scott and Lisa, we had previously bought a great spice rack that holds 20 spices and a cool black iron napkin holder. Lots of stuff for the apt. that you need to set up a household, but that we'd been missing.
Helen made us a great dinner of green beans in tomato sauce over rice. It's a real comfort food that we both enjoyed. She cooked up a big batch, so we'll have some of that for dinner tonight - like a lot of stuff, it's even better the second day!
Today I'm planning on going to watch the NFL playoffs at the Red Rock Casino. I like the Cardinals and the Colts in today's games.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Despite Helen and I donning our beautiful Black & Red Texas Tech Cotton Bowl 2009 t-shirts (compliments of Anna) we watched the Red Raiders stumble, bumble and fumble their way to a 47-34 loss to Ol' Miss on Friday.
It was painful to watch the Tech defense play so poorly. The offense put up 34 points, but the Rebels shredded Tech's defense time after time. It was a sad end to a good season by Tech. It also cost me $25 that I put on the Red Raiders.
Earlier in the day, Helen and I went to Target on a shopping spree, courtesy of gift cards from Luis and Anna. In a flurry of spending, we bought a canister set, a set of cookware, and an iron and ironing board. Thanks to a gift card from Scott and Lisa, we had previously bought a great spice rack that holds 20 spices and a cool black iron napkin holder. Lots of stuff for the apt. that you need to set up a household, but that we'd been missing.
Helen made us a great dinner of green beans in tomato sauce over rice. It's a real comfort food that we both enjoyed. She cooked up a big batch, so we'll have some of that for dinner tonight - like a lot of stuff, it's even better the second day!
Today I'm planning on going to watch the NFL playoffs at the Red Rock Casino. I like the Cardinals and the Colts in today's games.
Tomorrow the adventure continues...
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Happy New Year to All
Helen and I greeted 2009 with a quiet evening at home, complete with a bottle of champagne and munchies. We had considered visiting the Strip along with some 275,000 others, but decided to watch the fireworks and fun on TV instead. It just didn't seem worth the hassle.
Today was a football day for me and a relaxing day for Helen. I went to Suncoast Casino to make a hockey bet for my friend Terry (his 5-teamer will pay $475 when it hits), then on to Red Rock Casino to watch some of the bowl games. It was really great to sit in a comfy leather seat and watch the action on HUGE screens. Fans were hooting and howling on every big play and the place erupted whenever a touchdown was scored.
I made a few more parlay & teaser bets, some with Nebraska who pulled out a sweet 26-21 victory over Clemson. After that game, I took a break to grab some lunch (pizza slice & a diet pepsi) and promptly lost my seat at the sports book which was jampacked to watch USC-Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Vegas attracts lots of Southern Cal fans and they were in loud form as the Trojans jumped out to a big early lead. That game is still going on, so I don't know the final score. I do know that I have USC-5 and USC-1 in a couple of my bets. I also have over the total of 45 in a 3-team parlay that will pay 90 if Tulsa-Ball State can score more than 77.
Anyway, I left for home and am now relaxing, paying some bills online and getting ready to call my Dad in Florida. Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Today was a football day for me and a relaxing day for Helen. I went to Suncoast Casino to make a hockey bet for my friend Terry (his 5-teamer will pay $475 when it hits), then on to Red Rock Casino to watch some of the bowl games. It was really great to sit in a comfy leather seat and watch the action on HUGE screens. Fans were hooting and howling on every big play and the place erupted whenever a touchdown was scored.
I made a few more parlay & teaser bets, some with Nebraska who pulled out a sweet 26-21 victory over Clemson. After that game, I took a break to grab some lunch (pizza slice & a diet pepsi) and promptly lost my seat at the sports book which was jampacked to watch USC-Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Vegas attracts lots of Southern Cal fans and they were in loud form as the Trojans jumped out to a big early lead. That game is still going on, so I don't know the final score. I do know that I have USC-5 and USC-1 in a couple of my bets. I also have over the total of 45 in a 3-team parlay that will pay 90 if Tulsa-Ball State can score more than 77.
Anyway, I left for home and am now relaxing, paying some bills online and getting ready to call my Dad in Florida. Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
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