After a leisurely morning of coffee and TV news, I made my way over to the Suncoast about 11:30. Helen enjoys watching "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to run errands or hit the nearby casinos.
So between 11:30 and 3 p.m., I played some blackjack at a $5 table and was able to grind out an $80 profit. No big dramatic hands, no huge double downs, just $5-10 wins here and there. When I got up near $100, I decided not to press my luck and walk with the $80 profit.
On my way out, I checked the casino's movie theater, since Helen and I plan to see "Taken" there next Tuesday. Every Tuesday they offer $3 tickets to anyone over 60 who has a club card. We'll be taking advantage of this senior citizen benefit next week....woohoo for being Old!!
While I was gone, in addition to watching the wackiness along Wisteria Lane, Helen found time to clean the bathroom and catch up on her emails.
Since we had such a huge dinner last night, we both agreed to go with salads tonight. I whipped up a couple of hefty salads with organic mixed greens, roma tomatoes, red onions, Greek feta cheese and mushrooms. Now we're just relaxing, watching "Judge Judy" and reading a little bit. In a while, I'll make us a bowl of popcorn and we'll enjoy some TV until we're barely concious, or until about 9 o'clock ...then tomorrow the adventure will continue.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Poker Bad Beats & LV Birthday
At Helen's encouragement, I began my birthday yesterday with a daylong poker session at Bally's on the Strip.
When I opened the door to leave the apt. tied to the outside doorknob were 3 "Happy Birthday" balloons weighted down with a small package of candies and a card. A nice touch from the apt. managers, Kimberly and her staff. They really go out of their way to make us feel appreciated.
It was one of the most frustrating poker sessions of the trip. I started out winning a couple of pots early and was up $60-70 after 5-6 hands. But I lost one big hand when I looked down at 2-2 and called a guy's $10 bet. The flop came 2-10-10 - giving me a FULL HOUSE on the Flop! Eventually it came down to me and one other guy, who shoved all his chips in and I called. He showed 10-10 for trips and I was in good shape. On the turn came a K. Then the river - ANOTHER KING! Giving the guy a bigger full house....arrgh. that left me with only $40 left, which I built up to about $150 over the next 2 hours or so.
Then came my second big loss. I had $150 in front of me when I was dealt 8-8. This is one of my easiest hands to play...if I hit trips on the flop, I play aggressively. If there are over cards on the flop and someone bets, I fold. Anyway, three of us saw the flop which came A-10-8. One guy bet $30, another called and I said "All In" shoving my chips into the pot. Both of them called, making the pot more than $500. My thinking was that hopefully each of them had an Ace and I was well ahead. Well, we all turned our cards and I was right about one guy A-K, but the other guy had 10-10. I was way behind and the only way to win was hit the fourth 8...that didnt happen and I was cleaned out.
For the day, I only lost my $100 buy-in, but it was really annoying to lose that way. I was ahead and gave back all the profit, plus my buy-in. Very frustrating, but that's poker. I'll try again soon.
To celebrate my birthday, Helen and I went to Hash House A Go Go, a popular LV restaurant only a short drive from our apt. on Sahara. It's a favorite of celebrities and the lobby has pics of famous customers - Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil and others.
It's a great place. Helen and I arrived about 5:45, just before the dinner rush, and got a great table. The place is similar to Blue Tractor, with an industrial/farm feel to it. Lots of metal, including gleaming aluminum table tops, and wooden chairs. We started our meal with a tasty Riesling, recommended by our waiter Alex, who also brought some delicious honey-buttered biscuits that were the size of hockey pucks.
For our entrees, Helen chose a daily special of beef medallions over mashed potatoes with slightly crisp green beans and carrots. I went with a grilled pork tenderloin drizzled with carmelized pecans and hot honey mustard, blue cheese mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. Both were HUGE - delivered on 20-inch platters that weigh, according to Alex, 21 pounds each!! HHAGG is one of those places that provides Mega-portions. And the food is spectacularly plated. A delight for the eyes and the palate.
Since it WAS my birthday, we shared a dessert - a devilishly delicious 8-inch square chocolate bread pudding topped with a Snickers layer and adorned with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the record, we didn't finish the whole thing!
We'll definitely be returning, since we have a $25 off coupon. In fact, for you bargain hunters, we used a $25 off coupon and our dinner (before tip) came to only $54 - that's with two glasses of wine ($20) and dessert!
We were both groaning from eating so much, but it was SOOOO good. It was about 8 when we got home and settled in to watch the NBC comedies, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock. But today our adventure continues...
When I opened the door to leave the apt. tied to the outside doorknob were 3 "Happy Birthday" balloons weighted down with a small package of candies and a card. A nice touch from the apt. managers, Kimberly and her staff. They really go out of their way to make us feel appreciated.
It was one of the most frustrating poker sessions of the trip. I started out winning a couple of pots early and was up $60-70 after 5-6 hands. But I lost one big hand when I looked down at 2-2 and called a guy's $10 bet. The flop came 2-10-10 - giving me a FULL HOUSE on the Flop! Eventually it came down to me and one other guy, who shoved all his chips in and I called. He showed 10-10 for trips and I was in good shape. On the turn came a K. Then the river - ANOTHER KING! Giving the guy a bigger full house....arrgh. that left me with only $40 left, which I built up to about $150 over the next 2 hours or so.
Then came my second big loss. I had $150 in front of me when I was dealt 8-8. This is one of my easiest hands to play...if I hit trips on the flop, I play aggressively. If there are over cards on the flop and someone bets, I fold. Anyway, three of us saw the flop which came A-10-8. One guy bet $30, another called and I said "All In" shoving my chips into the pot. Both of them called, making the pot more than $500. My thinking was that hopefully each of them had an Ace and I was well ahead. Well, we all turned our cards and I was right about one guy A-K, but the other guy had 10-10. I was way behind and the only way to win was hit the fourth 8...that didnt happen and I was cleaned out.
For the day, I only lost my $100 buy-in, but it was really annoying to lose that way. I was ahead and gave back all the profit, plus my buy-in. Very frustrating, but that's poker. I'll try again soon.
To celebrate my birthday, Helen and I went to Hash House A Go Go, a popular LV restaurant only a short drive from our apt. on Sahara. It's a favorite of celebrities and the lobby has pics of famous customers - Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil and others.
It's a great place. Helen and I arrived about 5:45, just before the dinner rush, and got a great table. The place is similar to Blue Tractor, with an industrial/farm feel to it. Lots of metal, including gleaming aluminum table tops, and wooden chairs. We started our meal with a tasty Riesling, recommended by our waiter Alex, who also brought some delicious honey-buttered biscuits that were the size of hockey pucks.
For our entrees, Helen chose a daily special of beef medallions over mashed potatoes with slightly crisp green beans and carrots. I went with a grilled pork tenderloin drizzled with carmelized pecans and hot honey mustard, blue cheese mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. Both were HUGE - delivered on 20-inch platters that weigh, according to Alex, 21 pounds each!! HHAGG is one of those places that provides Mega-portions. And the food is spectacularly plated. A delight for the eyes and the palate.
Since it WAS my birthday, we shared a dessert - a devilishly delicious 8-inch square chocolate bread pudding topped with a Snickers layer and adorned with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the record, we didn't finish the whole thing!
We'll definitely be returning, since we have a $25 off coupon. In fact, for you bargain hunters, we used a $25 off coupon and our dinner (before tip) came to only $54 - that's with two glasses of wine ($20) and dessert!
We were both groaning from eating so much, but it was SOOOO good. It was about 8 when we got home and settled in to watch the NBC comedies, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock. But today our adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday in LV
Every Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11:30, Helen attends a Bible Study Class at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Since today was Ash Wednesday, she decided to stay after the class to attend a noon service.
So when I dropped her off at 9:45, we agreed that I would run a couple of errands and return to the church to pick her up at 12:30. My first stop was at a nearby post office box where I deposited my brother Bruce's birthday card. On March 3, next Tuesday, he turns 56.
Then it was off to the local library to pick up a few books. I found two mysteries for Helen - "Murder By Manicure" by Nancy Cohen and "Bleeding Hearts" by Susan Wittig Albert. For myself, I found "Murder of a Mafia Daughter" by Cathy Scott, "Master Detective" by John Reisinger and "Everything They Had" by David Halberstam.
I returned to the church about 12:20 and started reading "Murder of a Mafia Daughter." Helen came out about 12:45 and we headed back to the apt. where I made us turkey sandwiches for lunch. Then I grabbed a grocery list we had been compiling and headed over to Albertsons to do a little shopping. Six bags and $50 later, I headed home.
About 4 p.m., Helen and I called our niece Brandi, who turns 15 today. She was pretty excited that we called and seemed especially impressed that I signed the birthday card we sent her a few days ago. We're sort of birthday buddies, since she was born on Feb. 25 and I was born Feb. 26 - some 46 years earlier...
After talking with Brandi, I kept reading "Mafia Daughter" and actually finished it a few minutes ago. A pretty interesting tale about Susan Berman, whose father Davie Berman ran casinos in LV for the mob in the '50s and '60s. Susan was found murdered in LA in 2000 and it sounds like one of her friends is her killer, though no one was ever convicted.
For dinner, I whipped up some salads - organic mixed greens, Greek feta cheese, mushrooms, red onions, and Kalamata olives. Helen opted for Catalina dressing, while I chose a creamy ranch. We chose to eat healthy after munching some peanut & almond M&Ms as an afternoon snack.
Now we're just watching TV and I'll be starting one of my other books. For my birthday tomorrow, I plan on a full day of poker, followed by dinner at Hash House A Go Go, one of Vegas' most interesting eateries and a favorite of some celebs, including Al Roker. No doubt, the adventure will continue...
So when I dropped her off at 9:45, we agreed that I would run a couple of errands and return to the church to pick her up at 12:30. My first stop was at a nearby post office box where I deposited my brother Bruce's birthday card. On March 3, next Tuesday, he turns 56.
Then it was off to the local library to pick up a few books. I found two mysteries for Helen - "Murder By Manicure" by Nancy Cohen and "Bleeding Hearts" by Susan Wittig Albert. For myself, I found "Murder of a Mafia Daughter" by Cathy Scott, "Master Detective" by John Reisinger and "Everything They Had" by David Halberstam.
I returned to the church about 12:20 and started reading "Murder of a Mafia Daughter." Helen came out about 12:45 and we headed back to the apt. where I made us turkey sandwiches for lunch. Then I grabbed a grocery list we had been compiling and headed over to Albertsons to do a little shopping. Six bags and $50 later, I headed home.
About 4 p.m., Helen and I called our niece Brandi, who turns 15 today. She was pretty excited that we called and seemed especially impressed that I signed the birthday card we sent her a few days ago. We're sort of birthday buddies, since she was born on Feb. 25 and I was born Feb. 26 - some 46 years earlier...
After talking with Brandi, I kept reading "Mafia Daughter" and actually finished it a few minutes ago. A pretty interesting tale about Susan Berman, whose father Davie Berman ran casinos in LV for the mob in the '50s and '60s. Susan was found murdered in LA in 2000 and it sounds like one of her friends is her killer, though no one was ever convicted.
For dinner, I whipped up some salads - organic mixed greens, Greek feta cheese, mushrooms, red onions, and Kalamata olives. Helen opted for Catalina dressing, while I chose a creamy ranch. We chose to eat healthy after munching some peanut & almond M&Ms as an afternoon snack.
Now we're just watching TV and I'll be starting one of my other books. For my birthday tomorrow, I plan on a full day of poker, followed by dinner at Hash House A Go Go, one of Vegas' most interesting eateries and a favorite of some celebs, including Al Roker. No doubt, the adventure will continue...
Dinner on the Strip & Bellagio Fountains
Helen and I decided to have dinner down on the Strip Tuesday night and take in a couple of Bellagio Fountain performances.
But first, she sent me over to the Suncoast to play a little blackjack and, hopefully, make enough money to cover dinner. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and it resulted in one of the most frustrating sessions of the entire trip.
I found a seat at a $5 blackjack table and did very well early. In fact, I WON THE FIRST 7 HANDS! I was up about $100 and thought this had the makings of a very profitable session. But I violated one of my basic bj tenets and failed to walk soon enough. As good as the cards were running, they turned bad. Eventually I lost my winnings along with my $100 buy-in.
To change my luck, I drove to the Red Rock, where I played for about 45 minutes and ended up losing another $25. So gambling today was a $125 loss...
I returned home around 3 and Helen and I just relaxed before heading to the Strip about 4:30. We parked at Bill's and opted for an early dinner in the Victorian Room, one of my favorite casual eateries on the Strip. We both chose the Taco Salad with diet colas. It was tasty with a lot of taco beef.
After dinner we used the elevated bridges to make our way over to Bellagio. It was a little early for the 6 p.m. show, so we went into the Bellagio to see the elaborately decorated conservatory. On the way, I spotted a 50-cent Haywire slot machine - one of Helen's favorites. We decided to play it, so I shoved in a $20 and started play. We were up and down and up and down and suddenly got a HAYWIRE-HAYWIRE-3 BARS for $50. We immediately cashed out $68 - a $48 profit!
Then we made our way to the conservatory where it was beautifully decorated to honor the Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox. They do such an impressive job with these displays which change 4-6 times a year.
Soon we headed out to see the Fountain Show. It was a comfortable evening - afternoon temps had hit 72 or so and it was still balmy. Shortly after 6 we saw "Hoe Down" by Aaron Copeland. At 6:30 we watched "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood. It was so nice, standing there in shorts & Hawaiian shirt in late Feb. watching these amazing productions. A very fun time!
Then we drove home, had a big bowl of popcorn and watched some TV. Another great day in LV and I'm sure today our adventure will continue...
But first, she sent me over to the Suncoast to play a little blackjack and, hopefully, make enough money to cover dinner. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and it resulted in one of the most frustrating sessions of the entire trip.
I found a seat at a $5 blackjack table and did very well early. In fact, I WON THE FIRST 7 HANDS! I was up about $100 and thought this had the makings of a very profitable session. But I violated one of my basic bj tenets and failed to walk soon enough. As good as the cards were running, they turned bad. Eventually I lost my winnings along with my $100 buy-in.
To change my luck, I drove to the Red Rock, where I played for about 45 minutes and ended up losing another $25. So gambling today was a $125 loss...
I returned home around 3 and Helen and I just relaxed before heading to the Strip about 4:30. We parked at Bill's and opted for an early dinner in the Victorian Room, one of my favorite casual eateries on the Strip. We both chose the Taco Salad with diet colas. It was tasty with a lot of taco beef.
After dinner we used the elevated bridges to make our way over to Bellagio. It was a little early for the 6 p.m. show, so we went into the Bellagio to see the elaborately decorated conservatory. On the way, I spotted a 50-cent Haywire slot machine - one of Helen's favorites. We decided to play it, so I shoved in a $20 and started play. We were up and down and up and down and suddenly got a HAYWIRE-HAYWIRE-3 BARS for $50. We immediately cashed out $68 - a $48 profit!
Then we made our way to the conservatory where it was beautifully decorated to honor the Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox. They do such an impressive job with these displays which change 4-6 times a year.
Soon we headed out to see the Fountain Show. It was a comfortable evening - afternoon temps had hit 72 or so and it was still balmy. Shortly after 6 we saw "Hoe Down" by Aaron Copeland. At 6:30 we watched "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood. It was so nice, standing there in shorts & Hawaiian shirt in late Feb. watching these amazing productions. A very fun time!
Then we drove home, had a big bowl of popcorn and watched some TV. Another great day in LV and I'm sure today our adventure will continue...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Makin' Bucks at Bally's
It's always nice to start the week out with a profitable day of poker.
That's what happened today after I drove to Bally's looking for a $1-2 no limit game. I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and was unable to park at the Bally's parking deck because two large Clark County firetrucks had the entrance to the deck blocked off. A security officer was directing traffic around the ramp, so I made a quick right turn to get back to the Strip, then another right onto Flamingo and a left into the parking deck at Bill's Gambling Hall.
I walked across Flamingo and asked a couple of Bally's workers about the parking situation, but no one seemed to have any details. The poker room was just getting going at 10 a.m., so I took the #6 seat in the game. For the next couple of hours, there were really no highlights. The best hand I had was three 8s, which won me a pot of about $30. Other than that, my winning hands were two pair and less. Shortly after noon, I was up $65 and decided to take my profits and have lunch.
I needed to go to the Planet Hollywood sports book to cash a winning $48 hoops ticket that I bought yesterday, so I made my way through Paris and down the Strip to PH. The sports book is right inside the casino's southern-most entrance and easy to find. Feeling hungry, instead of immediately cashing the ticket, I ventured into the Earl of Sandwich shop for a tasty roast beef sandwich, along with chips and a drink.
Then I went to the sportsbook and cashed my winner. Things there were pretty quiet, but one big screen did have an interesting game going. It was "The Sandberg Game" from June 23, 1984 when the young Hall of Famer gained fame by slugging three homers in a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Cardinals. I watched for over an hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of Traverse City's own Dan Rohn, who was a member of the Cubs that year. It was great watching that 25-year-old baseball, but never saw Rohnie, though. Leaving the PH, I made my way back to the car at Bill's and drove back to the apartment, arriving just before 4 p.m.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone with our grandson Alan, who turns 16 today. She also talked with Anna and our friend Lois Edson. A pretty chatty day for her.
When I got home, we called Alan again and I got to wish my namesake a happy birthday. Dinner was nothing too special - grilled cheeseburgers and corn chips.
After dinner I finished reading "Crazy '08,' an outstanding baseball book about the exciting 1908 season. I really learned a lot about deadball baseball and some of the personalities involved in the game. It's a great read for a baseball lover.
Helen's just finishing up the dinner dishes and we'll watch a little TV before calling it a night. Tomorrow we're thinking of hitting the Strip together to have dinner there and watch the Bellagio fountains as our adventure continues...
That's what happened today after I drove to Bally's looking for a $1-2 no limit game. I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and was unable to park at the Bally's parking deck because two large Clark County firetrucks had the entrance to the deck blocked off. A security officer was directing traffic around the ramp, so I made a quick right turn to get back to the Strip, then another right onto Flamingo and a left into the parking deck at Bill's Gambling Hall.
I walked across Flamingo and asked a couple of Bally's workers about the parking situation, but no one seemed to have any details. The poker room was just getting going at 10 a.m., so I took the #6 seat in the game. For the next couple of hours, there were really no highlights. The best hand I had was three 8s, which won me a pot of about $30. Other than that, my winning hands were two pair and less. Shortly after noon, I was up $65 and decided to take my profits and have lunch.
I needed to go to the Planet Hollywood sports book to cash a winning $48 hoops ticket that I bought yesterday, so I made my way through Paris and down the Strip to PH. The sports book is right inside the casino's southern-most entrance and easy to find. Feeling hungry, instead of immediately cashing the ticket, I ventured into the Earl of Sandwich shop for a tasty roast beef sandwich, along with chips and a drink.
Then I went to the sportsbook and cashed my winner. Things there were pretty quiet, but one big screen did have an interesting game going. It was "The Sandberg Game" from June 23, 1984 when the young Hall of Famer gained fame by slugging three homers in a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Cardinals. I watched for over an hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of Traverse City's own Dan Rohn, who was a member of the Cubs that year. It was great watching that 25-year-old baseball, but never saw Rohnie, though. Leaving the PH, I made my way back to the car at Bill's and drove back to the apartment, arriving just before 4 p.m.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone with our grandson Alan, who turns 16 today. She also talked with Anna and our friend Lois Edson. A pretty chatty day for her.
When I got home, we called Alan again and I got to wish my namesake a happy birthday. Dinner was nothing too special - grilled cheeseburgers and corn chips.
After dinner I finished reading "Crazy '08,' an outstanding baseball book about the exciting 1908 season. I really learned a lot about deadball baseball and some of the personalities involved in the game. It's a great read for a baseball lover.
Helen's just finishing up the dinner dishes and we'll watch a little TV before calling it a night. Tomorrow we're thinking of hitting the Strip together to have dinner there and watch the Bellagio fountains as our adventure continues...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Scored Some Great Concert Tickets
Helen and I began our Sunday by attending the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church.
I'm not sure if there's any direct correlation, but ever since I started regular church attendance, some seven weeks ago, my efforts at the casinos have been steadily profitable. Just a coincidence? Who knows.
After church, we came back to the apartment about 9:15 and I made Helen some breakfast - apples, blueberries and banana covered with vanilla yogurt. It's tasty, filling and low in calories - one of Helen's favorite breakfasts.
Then she sent me down to the Strip to see if there was any money to be made. Surprisingly, there was. I parked at Bally's and checked out the poker room. One table going and a list of 4 names. I didn't wait. I played a little blackjack there, winning about $20, before strolling to the Paris sportsbook where I put down $30 on MSU -8 against Wisconsin. It didn't look good early as the Spartans trailed most of the game. But they rallied in the final minutes to get the win and the cover.
Before the MSU game, I walked over to Planet Hollywood where I played some more blackjack, winning $76, and bought a 4-team $20 moneyline parlay ticket - MSU, Minnesota, Lakers and Cavaliers (over the Pistons). Right now the first 3 have won and the Cavs lead Detroit by 33 at the half. It looks like I'll be cashing this one for $48.85.
So by 4 o'clock, I was up about $120 and drove over to the Orleans to get tickets for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert next weekend. Shepherd will be in Vegas next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I scored us two SWEET seats, four rows back, center aisle. We went to his concert here last year and really enjoyed it. Anyone who likes the blues, especially blues guitar, would enjoy KWS. He's young, but very highly regarded in the blues field.
Then I drove home and made us some dinner - grilled mushroom burgers with sauteed onions - not very healthy, but really tasty.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone. She had a long talk with her sister Sharon, who has been battling cold symptoms and crud for about a month. Yesterday was Sharon's brithday and Helen wanted to send our congratulations. She also cleaned up the apartment and relaxed for awhile. Tonight we're just watching some TV and relaxing, but tomorrow, I'm pretty sure, the adventure continues...
I'm not sure if there's any direct correlation, but ever since I started regular church attendance, some seven weeks ago, my efforts at the casinos have been steadily profitable. Just a coincidence? Who knows.
After church, we came back to the apartment about 9:15 and I made Helen some breakfast - apples, blueberries and banana covered with vanilla yogurt. It's tasty, filling and low in calories - one of Helen's favorite breakfasts.
Then she sent me down to the Strip to see if there was any money to be made. Surprisingly, there was. I parked at Bally's and checked out the poker room. One table going and a list of 4 names. I didn't wait. I played a little blackjack there, winning about $20, before strolling to the Paris sportsbook where I put down $30 on MSU -8 against Wisconsin. It didn't look good early as the Spartans trailed most of the game. But they rallied in the final minutes to get the win and the cover.
Before the MSU game, I walked over to Planet Hollywood where I played some more blackjack, winning $76, and bought a 4-team $20 moneyline parlay ticket - MSU, Minnesota, Lakers and Cavaliers (over the Pistons). Right now the first 3 have won and the Cavs lead Detroit by 33 at the half. It looks like I'll be cashing this one for $48.85.
So by 4 o'clock, I was up about $120 and drove over to the Orleans to get tickets for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert next weekend. Shepherd will be in Vegas next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I scored us two SWEET seats, four rows back, center aisle. We went to his concert here last year and really enjoyed it. Anyone who likes the blues, especially blues guitar, would enjoy KWS. He's young, but very highly regarded in the blues field.
Then I drove home and made us some dinner - grilled mushroom burgers with sauteed onions - not very healthy, but really tasty.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone. She had a long talk with her sister Sharon, who has been battling cold symptoms and crud for about a month. Yesterday was Sharon's brithday and Helen wanted to send our congratulations. She also cleaned up the apartment and relaxed for awhile. Tonight we're just watching some TV and relaxing, but tomorrow, I'm pretty sure, the adventure continues...
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday on the LV Strip
Helen sent me down to the Strip to play some poker, but my plans got changed along the way.
I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall about 9 a.m. and went to the casino's sports book to get a bet down on an early hoops game. I took Butler +5 over Davidson for $25, which turned out to be a winner. While at Bill's I played a little blackjack and walked with a profit of $80.
Then I crossed Flamingo Blvd to Bally's where I wanted to play a little poker. But the poker room was busy today with three tables going and a waiting list of about 6 names. I didn't feel like waiting, so I strolled over to the Paris sports book to get another bet down. I liked Louisville -5 against Cincinnati for $25, which was also a winner. After making the bet, I wanted a comfortable place to watch the game, so I headed to Bellagio's sports book - for my money, the finest sports book on the Strip. With their leather chairs and huge screens, Bellagio does it right.
After watching the games finish, I walked back to Paris to cash the Louisville ticket and stopped at Bally's to check the poker situation. Still no vacancies there, so I played a little blackjack and won $30. I was hungry, so I got a chicken salad sandwich at the Nosh snack bar, but it was busy and there were few seats, so I toted my lunch to the Paris sports book and ate there while watching more hoops. While there, I checked my phone and saw that my friend Terry called. I called him back and he wanted me to get him a 7-team hockey parlay. If it hits, his $25 bet will pay $3,350....but right now he's losing the first game. I also bought a $20 3-team hockey ticket that will pay $81 if it wins, but right now I'm losing the Devils game 2-0 and the Wings game 1-0. Not looking good.
With lunch over, I walked back to Bill's to cash my Butler ticket and play a little blackjack. I won $30 there and decided to drive home. My total profit for the day was $148, including the $25 that T owes me for his hockey bet. Not a bad day...a lot of hoops fun and some profit.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was relaxing at home, doing some laundry and talking with our niece Brandi, whose birthday is next week. We sent her a gift - some dollhouse furniture for her new dollhouse, and she called to thank us. Helen talked with her for about an hour. Glad we have unlimited long distance on both phones.
I don't feel like cooking, so we'll be having Middle Eastern fare again tonight - pita bread, hummus, feta cheese, tabouli, lebne and kalamata olives. Tasty stuff.
Helen's watching some Lifetime Channel show about a prison warden's wife being kidnapped by a killer who she later falls for. I'm getting ready to whip up dinner, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall about 9 a.m. and went to the casino's sports book to get a bet down on an early hoops game. I took Butler +5 over Davidson for $25, which turned out to be a winner. While at Bill's I played a little blackjack and walked with a profit of $80.
Then I crossed Flamingo Blvd to Bally's where I wanted to play a little poker. But the poker room was busy today with three tables going and a waiting list of about 6 names. I didn't feel like waiting, so I strolled over to the Paris sports book to get another bet down. I liked Louisville -5 against Cincinnati for $25, which was also a winner. After making the bet, I wanted a comfortable place to watch the game, so I headed to Bellagio's sports book - for my money, the finest sports book on the Strip. With their leather chairs and huge screens, Bellagio does it right.
After watching the games finish, I walked back to Paris to cash the Louisville ticket and stopped at Bally's to check the poker situation. Still no vacancies there, so I played a little blackjack and won $30. I was hungry, so I got a chicken salad sandwich at the Nosh snack bar, but it was busy and there were few seats, so I toted my lunch to the Paris sports book and ate there while watching more hoops. While there, I checked my phone and saw that my friend Terry called. I called him back and he wanted me to get him a 7-team hockey parlay. If it hits, his $25 bet will pay $3,350....but right now he's losing the first game. I also bought a $20 3-team hockey ticket that will pay $81 if it wins, but right now I'm losing the Devils game 2-0 and the Wings game 1-0. Not looking good.
With lunch over, I walked back to Bill's to cash my Butler ticket and play a little blackjack. I won $30 there and decided to drive home. My total profit for the day was $148, including the $25 that T owes me for his hockey bet. Not a bad day...a lot of hoops fun and some profit.
While I was on the Strip, Helen was relaxing at home, doing some laundry and talking with our niece Brandi, whose birthday is next week. We sent her a gift - some dollhouse furniture for her new dollhouse, and she called to thank us. Helen talked with her for about an hour. Glad we have unlimited long distance on both phones.
I don't feel like cooking, so we'll be having Middle Eastern fare again tonight - pita bread, hummus, feta cheese, tabouli, lebne and kalamata olives. Tasty stuff.
Helen's watching some Lifetime Channel show about a prison warden's wife being kidnapped by a killer who she later falls for. I'm getting ready to whip up dinner, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Futures Bets on NCAA Hoops & Baseball
For our sports fans, here's a glimpse of some of the future bets available now in LV.
At the Suncoast the odds to win the NCAA Hoops Championship at Ford Field in Detroit:
N. Carolina 7-5
Connecticut 9-2
Pittsburgh 5-1
Wake Forest 5-1
Duke 6-1
UCLA 7-1
Louisville 8-1
Michigan State 18-1
No line on Michigan, CMU or EMU...all of them would be in the "field" category at 30-1.
Suncoast World Series odd:
Yankees 2-1
Red Sox 5-1
Cubs 6-1
Angels 8-1
Rays 8-1
Mets 8-1
Tigers 18-1
Nationals 90-1 (longest shot on the board)
AL Pennant Odds:
Yankees Even Money
Red Sox 3-1
Angels 4-1
Rays 9-2
Tigers 7-1
Indians 7-1
NL Pennant Odds
Cubs 5-2
Mets 4-1
Dodgers 9-2
Phillies 11-2
DBacks 6-1
Cardinals 7-1
At the Suncoast the odds to win the NCAA Hoops Championship at Ford Field in Detroit:
N. Carolina 7-5
Connecticut 9-2
Pittsburgh 5-1
Wake Forest 5-1
Duke 6-1
UCLA 7-1
Louisville 8-1
Michigan State 18-1
No line on Michigan, CMU or EMU...all of them would be in the "field" category at 30-1.
Suncoast World Series odd:
Yankees 2-1
Red Sox 5-1
Cubs 6-1
Angels 8-1
Rays 8-1
Mets 8-1
Tigers 18-1
Nationals 90-1 (longest shot on the board)
AL Pennant Odds:
Yankees Even Money
Red Sox 3-1
Angels 4-1
Rays 9-2
Tigers 7-1
Indians 7-1
NL Pennant Odds
Cubs 5-2
Mets 4-1
Dodgers 9-2
Phillies 11-2
DBacks 6-1
Cardinals 7-1
Friday, February 20, 2009
My Best Poker Hand to Date
Our life has returned to a normal routine now that our friend Gail has flown back to the snow and wind of Traverse City.
This morning I did a little grocery shopping. Six bags of groceries set us back $75, so I figured I'd better hit the poker tables and let someone else cough up the cash for these victuals. After unloading the groceries, I headed down to the Strip. I parked at Bill's, bought a hockey parlay for my friend Terry (sorry T, 2 out of 3 were winners) and walked over to Bally's.
At 10 a.m., the Bally's poker room was pretty quiet, so I put my name in for a $1-2 No Limit game and within about 10 minutes there were 6 of us to begin play. I've been very lucky in the #1 seat lately, so I grabbed that spot and bought in for $100. About the 3rd or 4th hand, I won a nice pot and was immediately up $40 or so. But that was the end of my good fortune for, literally, hours.
I had a real run of cold cards...J-3, 8-2, 9-4. When I did get a good starting hand (I had A-K twice) the flop was no help and I couldn't call the $30 or $40 bets that came along after the flop.
I stayed patient, but eventually my stack was dwindling. Eventually, I bought in for another $100. My plan was to head home about 3:30 or 4.
At 3 p.m., I looked down at a pair of red K-K, bet $10 and got called by 3 other players. My stack at this time was about $65. The flop came A-K-4, all Clubs. I was concerned about a flush and figured I'd better try to win the pot right there, so I went All-In for my $65 and got one guy to call. The turn was a 7 of Diamonds. Then the river card - the beautiful KING OF SPADES. I'd made 4 KINGS - taking down a nearly $200 pot and getting a bonus from the casino of $100 that they pay for any quads. The other player had made his Club Flush. I tipped the dealer $10. So by winning almost $300, I went from roughly $140 down to $160 up! I saw 3-4 more hands, but didn't play any before racking up my chips and leaving with a profit of $139.
While I was grinding out some poker winnings, Helen was on the phone. She talked with her sister Nat and her sister Susan who is feeling better after suffering numbness on her left side and loss of balance. The numbness is gone and she only has occasional dizziness now. It's believed the cause was a Reclast Infusion, a drug for treating osteoporosis. Helen also talked with our sister-in-law Lorraine who lives in So Cal and is hoping to come to Vegas for a visit. Lorraine would also like Helen to spend a week or so with her and Norm and their kids. We still have to work out the details of that trip.
On my way home from the Strip, I stopped at our Middle Eastern Market and picked up dinner - fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli, Greek feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and lebne. It was delicious and easy to plate up. Not much cooking for me tonight, LOL!
Now we're just relaxing, reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
This morning I did a little grocery shopping. Six bags of groceries set us back $75, so I figured I'd better hit the poker tables and let someone else cough up the cash for these victuals. After unloading the groceries, I headed down to the Strip. I parked at Bill's, bought a hockey parlay for my friend Terry (sorry T, 2 out of 3 were winners) and walked over to Bally's.
At 10 a.m., the Bally's poker room was pretty quiet, so I put my name in for a $1-2 No Limit game and within about 10 minutes there were 6 of us to begin play. I've been very lucky in the #1 seat lately, so I grabbed that spot and bought in for $100. About the 3rd or 4th hand, I won a nice pot and was immediately up $40 or so. But that was the end of my good fortune for, literally, hours.
I had a real run of cold cards...J-3, 8-2, 9-4. When I did get a good starting hand (I had A-K twice) the flop was no help and I couldn't call the $30 or $40 bets that came along after the flop.
I stayed patient, but eventually my stack was dwindling. Eventually, I bought in for another $100. My plan was to head home about 3:30 or 4.
At 3 p.m., I looked down at a pair of red K-K, bet $10 and got called by 3 other players. My stack at this time was about $65. The flop came A-K-4, all Clubs. I was concerned about a flush and figured I'd better try to win the pot right there, so I went All-In for my $65 and got one guy to call. The turn was a 7 of Diamonds. Then the river card - the beautiful KING OF SPADES. I'd made 4 KINGS - taking down a nearly $200 pot and getting a bonus from the casino of $100 that they pay for any quads. The other player had made his Club Flush. I tipped the dealer $10. So by winning almost $300, I went from roughly $140 down to $160 up! I saw 3-4 more hands, but didn't play any before racking up my chips and leaving with a profit of $139.
While I was grinding out some poker winnings, Helen was on the phone. She talked with her sister Nat and her sister Susan who is feeling better after suffering numbness on her left side and loss of balance. The numbness is gone and she only has occasional dizziness now. It's believed the cause was a Reclast Infusion, a drug for treating osteoporosis. Helen also talked with our sister-in-law Lorraine who lives in So Cal and is hoping to come to Vegas for a visit. Lorraine would also like Helen to spend a week or so with her and Norm and their kids. We still have to work out the details of that trip.
On my way home from the Strip, I stopped at our Middle Eastern Market and picked up dinner - fresh pita bread, hummus, tabouli, Greek feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and lebne. It was delicious and easy to plate up. Not much cooking for me tonight, LOL!
Now we're just relaxing, reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
"Jubilee" and More
Wednesday began with bagels and coffee for breakfast and then a quick trip to the Strip where Helen and Gail wanted to visit the M&M store.
We parked the Vue at MGM and I led the ladies through the casino and onto the Strip. It's a short walk from the MGM to the M&M store. While they were shopping, I went back to the casino and found a $5 blackjack table that looked beatable. I was right. Within a half hour, I had piled up $100 in profit and would have stayed longer, but a guy joined the table who had absolutely no clue about playing the game. When he stayed on 12 against the dealer's facecard, I decided to leave immediately with my profit.
So I wandered to the sports book, then over to the poker room. Then I saw Gail and Helen and we met near the Lions habitat where they have live lions laying around getting their pictures taken. A month or so ago, one of the MGM lions made media news when it turned on a trainer and munched his leg a bit. No such antics yesterday, though.
We decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at the Victorian Room at Bill's Gambling Hall, so we drove from MGM north on the Strip to Bill's. Gail had a mushroom burger, Helen had a chicken wrap and I opted for a philly cheese steak. All came with fries. We were all hungry and the food was tasty. The Victorian Room has long been one of my favorite Vegas eateries, especially for breakfast when their skillet breakfasts are hard to beat.
After eating, we drove home to rest a bit and change clothes for our evening adventure - the 7:30 p.m. "Jubilee" show at Ballys. We returned to the Strip and got to Bally's around 6:45 p.m. Seating for the show was already beginning, so we got in line to be seated. Because of Helen's wheelchair, an usher guided us through a side entrance to our table - right up front!
It was great being that close to the stage, but I think we were all surprised a bit when the curtain rose on the opening number and the lavishly costumed dancers were - well, missing a little of their costumes! Yep, it was a topless number - one of several during the nearly-two-hour performance. Gail had insisted it was supposed to be non-topless, but when she checked her entertainment magazine later she realized that Jubilee's SATURDAY performances are non-topless. The rest are sans tops...
Anyway, we all really enjoyed the outstanding performances. Between dancing numbers, there were some amazing acrobats, gymnasts and a really talented juggler. There were two amazing production numbers - Samson and Delilah - and the sinking of the Titanic! I highly recommend anyone see "Jubilee" as an old-school Las Vegas production show that features nearly 100 dancers with tons of sequins, feathers and rhinestones.
After the show, we drove home, arriving about 10 p.m. The girls stayed up laughing and drinking wine til 1 a.m., but I crashed early.
This morning we just sat around talking and drinking coffee. Gail had a 2:40 p.m. flight back to Detroit, then on to Traverse City. Around noon we left for the airport, which is about 30-40 minutes away. It was almost 1 after we finally got parked and walked her into the ticketing area. It was a little sad to see her go, but we know she had a really good time during the two full days she was here. If all goes well and Northworst Airlines doesn't screw up, she'll arrive back in TC around midnight.
Helen and I drove home and just relaxed for a bit. I made us a lasagna and salad dinner and now we're just relaxing and waiting for the Thursday night comedy shows on NBC. But tomorrow, our Vegas adventure continues...
We parked the Vue at MGM and I led the ladies through the casino and onto the Strip. It's a short walk from the MGM to the M&M store. While they were shopping, I went back to the casino and found a $5 blackjack table that looked beatable. I was right. Within a half hour, I had piled up $100 in profit and would have stayed longer, but a guy joined the table who had absolutely no clue about playing the game. When he stayed on 12 against the dealer's facecard, I decided to leave immediately with my profit.
So I wandered to the sports book, then over to the poker room. Then I saw Gail and Helen and we met near the Lions habitat where they have live lions laying around getting their pictures taken. A month or so ago, one of the MGM lions made media news when it turned on a trainer and munched his leg a bit. No such antics yesterday, though.
We decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at the Victorian Room at Bill's Gambling Hall, so we drove from MGM north on the Strip to Bill's. Gail had a mushroom burger, Helen had a chicken wrap and I opted for a philly cheese steak. All came with fries. We were all hungry and the food was tasty. The Victorian Room has long been one of my favorite Vegas eateries, especially for breakfast when their skillet breakfasts are hard to beat.
After eating, we drove home to rest a bit and change clothes for our evening adventure - the 7:30 p.m. "Jubilee" show at Ballys. We returned to the Strip and got to Bally's around 6:45 p.m. Seating for the show was already beginning, so we got in line to be seated. Because of Helen's wheelchair, an usher guided us through a side entrance to our table - right up front!
It was great being that close to the stage, but I think we were all surprised a bit when the curtain rose on the opening number and the lavishly costumed dancers were - well, missing a little of their costumes! Yep, it was a topless number - one of several during the nearly-two-hour performance. Gail had insisted it was supposed to be non-topless, but when she checked her entertainment magazine later she realized that Jubilee's SATURDAY performances are non-topless. The rest are sans tops...
Anyway, we all really enjoyed the outstanding performances. Between dancing numbers, there were some amazing acrobats, gymnasts and a really talented juggler. There were two amazing production numbers - Samson and Delilah - and the sinking of the Titanic! I highly recommend anyone see "Jubilee" as an old-school Las Vegas production show that features nearly 100 dancers with tons of sequins, feathers and rhinestones.
After the show, we drove home, arriving about 10 p.m. The girls stayed up laughing and drinking wine til 1 a.m., but I crashed early.
This morning we just sat around talking and drinking coffee. Gail had a 2:40 p.m. flight back to Detroit, then on to Traverse City. Around noon we left for the airport, which is about 30-40 minutes away. It was almost 1 after we finally got parked and walked her into the ticketing area. It was a little sad to see her go, but we know she had a really good time during the two full days she was here. If all goes well and Northworst Airlines doesn't screw up, she'll arrive back in TC around midnight.
Helen and I drove home and just relaxed for a bit. I made us a lasagna and salad dinner and now we're just relaxing and waiting for the Thursday night comedy shows on NBC. But tomorrow, our Vegas adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Shopping, Poker and the PH Buffet
The past 36 hours have been a whirlwhind of activity as our friend Gail arrived late Monday night.
Flying in from Florida, Gail was supposed to arrive on a Northwest flight at 9 p.m. In typical "Northworst" fashion, the flight was shoved back two hours, so she didn't hit McCarran International Airport until 11. In another "Northworst" anomaly, she was routed from Orlando, Fla to Detroit to Las Vegas. It was a 12 hour travel day for her, with more than 8 hours of actual flying time. After snagging her bags, we got out of the airport about midnight and drove down the Strip to give her a first-time-in-LV-visitors view of the lights of Sin City.
We stopped at Harrah's to grab a bite at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar." But by the time we got there, the bar's kitchen was closed. We were all tired and disappointed so we decided to continue driving the Strip, looking for food. Gail was so hungry, we opted for a Big Mac combo at a McDonald's drive through...it took forever. This joint served the slowest fast-food in the West. It was so bad that the driver behind us in line didn't wait for his order and just drove away.
Finally we got back to the apt. where I crashed and the girls stayed up talking and laughing.
Tuesday morning I headed out to the post office and mailed a birthday gift to one of Natalie's girl - Brandi - whose birthday in Feb. 25. Helen and Gail were up and moving by the time I got back and we headed down to the Strip around 11:30. We parked at Bill's and I guided the shoppers over to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Then I walked back to Bally's to find a seat at a $1-2 No-Limit poker game.
I was lucky to get there just as they were starting a new game. I have a theory that you're better off getting into a new game than taking a seat in a game that is already under way. My feeling is that if the game is under way and the seat is open, it most likely is empty because the previous player wasn't getting cards and walked away a loser. Who wants to sit in that seat, right?
Anyway, in the first hand I played, I had 2-7 of Spades. I was on the big blind, so I had already put $2 in the pot. When the flop fell 7-7-A I was in pretty good shape. Eventually the hand came down to me and another guy. The turn card was (drumroll here) a 7. I had four 7s and eventually won the $60-70 pot. The loser was grumbling about "how could I play 2-7" but I just told him "I really don't know how to play" grinning as I raked the pot...
But, despite the good start, I ended up losing my $100 buy-in when I went all-in and my A-high flush was beaten by a full house on the river.
But despite that bad beat, I came back with some aggressive play. I took down a $100 plus pot when my 3 Jacks beat As and 8s. Eventually after about 2 hours of play, I found myself up $215 and decided to walk away with the profit. It was about 3:15 p.m. and I remembered that MSU was playing Purdue at 4 p.m. So I headed down to the Bally's sportbook and put $20 on the Spartans +2. What a mistake! The Spartans got spanked...
Just after I made the bet - about 3:45 p.m. - Helen called to say they were done looting the Forum Shops and wanted to pillage the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. So I walked from Bally's over to CP and met them in the CP check-in area. We all made a chilly walk from CP to PH and entered the Miracle Mile near the Hawaiian Tropic restaurant. It was 4:30 and we agreed to meet back at that spot at 7:30.
I headed right into the PH sportsbook and watched the Spartans lose to Purdue. It was depressing and I was glad I only had $20 on the game. Eventually I drifted out into the casino and played some video poker ($2.50 profit) and video blackjack ($3 profit). About 6:45, I ran into the girls who were done shopping early.
We had originally planned to have dinner at Margaritaville, but since it was quite a hike in the cold we opted to eat at the PH instead. Our choice was the buffet, one of the best in LV, in my humble opinion. There was about a 15-minute wait and it was pricey. The dinner price is $27.95 each - $90 with taxes.
I had a mound of chilled shrimp with tangy sauce, plus some cajun rice for an appetizer. Then I went for Middle Eastern fare with tabouli, hummus, grilled veggies and chicken kabob. Dessert was chocolate cream pie and a fudge chocolate cake. Gail opted for prime rib, chicken, veggies and more. Helen had a Middle East plate that I prepped for her with hummus, tabouli, pita bread, stuffed grape leaves, and grilled vegetables. Helen, like her fairy tale counterpart Mary, also had a little lamb. Her dessert was chocolate cream pie.
We were all stuffed and walked off dinner by hiking back to Bill's and the car. Tired, but happy, we drove north on the Strip until we hit Sahara. Gail was snapping photos of the casino lights like a freelance papparazzi. By the time we got home, it was after 9 .m. and I headed directly to bed to read a bit and let the girls stay up, guzzle wine and talk.
Today we started with a bagel-and-coffee breakfast. We'll be relaxing today, because tonight we're heading to Bally's for the 7:30 show of Jubilee as our adventure continues...
Flying in from Florida, Gail was supposed to arrive on a Northwest flight at 9 p.m. In typical "Northworst" fashion, the flight was shoved back two hours, so she didn't hit McCarran International Airport until 11. In another "Northworst" anomaly, she was routed from Orlando, Fla to Detroit to Las Vegas. It was a 12 hour travel day for her, with more than 8 hours of actual flying time. After snagging her bags, we got out of the airport about midnight and drove down the Strip to give her a first-time-in-LV-visitors view of the lights of Sin City.
We stopped at Harrah's to grab a bite at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar." But by the time we got there, the bar's kitchen was closed. We were all tired and disappointed so we decided to continue driving the Strip, looking for food. Gail was so hungry, we opted for a Big Mac combo at a McDonald's drive through...it took forever. This joint served the slowest fast-food in the West. It was so bad that the driver behind us in line didn't wait for his order and just drove away.
Finally we got back to the apt. where I crashed and the girls stayed up talking and laughing.
Tuesday morning I headed out to the post office and mailed a birthday gift to one of Natalie's girl - Brandi - whose birthday in Feb. 25. Helen and Gail were up and moving by the time I got back and we headed down to the Strip around 11:30. We parked at Bill's and I guided the shoppers over to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Then I walked back to Bally's to find a seat at a $1-2 No-Limit poker game.
I was lucky to get there just as they were starting a new game. I have a theory that you're better off getting into a new game than taking a seat in a game that is already under way. My feeling is that if the game is under way and the seat is open, it most likely is empty because the previous player wasn't getting cards and walked away a loser. Who wants to sit in that seat, right?
Anyway, in the first hand I played, I had 2-7 of Spades. I was on the big blind, so I had already put $2 in the pot. When the flop fell 7-7-A I was in pretty good shape. Eventually the hand came down to me and another guy. The turn card was (drumroll here) a 7. I had four 7s and eventually won the $60-70 pot. The loser was grumbling about "how could I play 2-7" but I just told him "I really don't know how to play" grinning as I raked the pot...
But, despite the good start, I ended up losing my $100 buy-in when I went all-in and my A-high flush was beaten by a full house on the river.
But despite that bad beat, I came back with some aggressive play. I took down a $100 plus pot when my 3 Jacks beat As and 8s. Eventually after about 2 hours of play, I found myself up $215 and decided to walk away with the profit. It was about 3:15 p.m. and I remembered that MSU was playing Purdue at 4 p.m. So I headed down to the Bally's sportbook and put $20 on the Spartans +2. What a mistake! The Spartans got spanked...
Just after I made the bet - about 3:45 p.m. - Helen called to say they were done looting the Forum Shops and wanted to pillage the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. So I walked from Bally's over to CP and met them in the CP check-in area. We all made a chilly walk from CP to PH and entered the Miracle Mile near the Hawaiian Tropic restaurant. It was 4:30 and we agreed to meet back at that spot at 7:30.
I headed right into the PH sportsbook and watched the Spartans lose to Purdue. It was depressing and I was glad I only had $20 on the game. Eventually I drifted out into the casino and played some video poker ($2.50 profit) and video blackjack ($3 profit). About 6:45, I ran into the girls who were done shopping early.
We had originally planned to have dinner at Margaritaville, but since it was quite a hike in the cold we opted to eat at the PH instead. Our choice was the buffet, one of the best in LV, in my humble opinion. There was about a 15-minute wait and it was pricey. The dinner price is $27.95 each - $90 with taxes.
I had a mound of chilled shrimp with tangy sauce, plus some cajun rice for an appetizer. Then I went for Middle Eastern fare with tabouli, hummus, grilled veggies and chicken kabob. Dessert was chocolate cream pie and a fudge chocolate cake. Gail opted for prime rib, chicken, veggies and more. Helen had a Middle East plate that I prepped for her with hummus, tabouli, pita bread, stuffed grape leaves, and grilled vegetables. Helen, like her fairy tale counterpart Mary, also had a little lamb. Her dessert was chocolate cream pie.
We were all stuffed and walked off dinner by hiking back to Bill's and the car. Tired, but happy, we drove north on the Strip until we hit Sahara. Gail was snapping photos of the casino lights like a freelance papparazzi. By the time we got home, it was after 9 .m. and I headed directly to bed to read a bit and let the girls stay up, guzzle wine and talk.
Today we started with a bagel-and-coffee breakfast. We'll be relaxing today, because tonight we're heading to Bally's for the 7:30 show of Jubilee as our adventure continues...
Monday, February 16, 2009
Stimulating the Economy on President's Day
This morning we were busy getting the apartment ready for a visit by Helen's friend Gail.
Helen did some cleaning and laundry, while I vacuumed the place. Our humble abode is looking nice and clean for our visitor.
By 10 a.m. or so, Helen sent me to the Suncoast to stimulate the Las Vegas economy. I was happy to oblige. After making the short drive to the 'Coast, I found a nice $5 blackjack table and sat down with four other players. I was making some hands and the dealer was busting, so I quickly got up $60-70 or so. Thanks to the dealer's generosity, all of the players were doing pretty well.
But the highlight of the table came when a guy walked up and laid three crisp $100 bills in the betting circle and said "money plays." Since the rest of us were betting $5-15, this move caught our attention. So the dealer pitched the cards and Mr. Big Bet showed a blackjack - he won $450 on his bet!
So after that he was betting $100-300 per hand, while the rest of us doddled along with our smaller bets. Still, we all kept winning.
Eventually Mr. Big Bet shoved out a bet of $400 and was dealt 8-8 while the dealer showed a 9. All good bj players know to ALWAYS split 8s, and this guy did. On one eight he caught a 10, on the other he caught, yep, another 8 - which he split again! So now he has three bets of $400 each. On the second 8 he got a face card for 18. On the third eight, he caught a 6 for 14 and hit again, snagging a 4 for his third 18 - all against the dealer's 9... Well, the dealer showed a 7 in the hole (16) then slapped a 6 on top - BUSTED! The table erupted as we all high-fived the guy's good fortune on his huge bet. He won $1,200 on one hand!!
Soon after, he cashed out - a $2400 winner. I left the table a little while later, a $130 winner, and had a comped buffet lunch - grilled chicken, green beans, fried rice with orange chicken and chocolate pudding.
While playing bj, I was talking with a pit boss about this new promotion they have where if you log 12 hours of table play you get a free Suncoast jacket. My punchcard had about 6 hours of play on it and I asked her to give me two more hours worth. Instead, she punched out the remaining 6 hours and sent me over to get my new jacket. It was a nice gesture, the kind that the Suncoast staff seems to understand is good for business. They ARE friendly there.
Tonight we're heading out to McCarran Airport to pick up Gail. She was originally supposed to arrive at 9 p.m., but her flight out of Detroit was delayed and now she's arriving at 11 p.m. We plan to hit the Strip for awhile, grabbing some food at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar at Harrah's. Then we'll drive her down the Strip to see the lights and crowds. It'll be fun, especially since this is Gail's first visit to Las Vegas.
Tomorrow, Gail and Helen will be doing a lot of shopping and I plan to play a lot of poker. So it's pretty probable that this adventure will continue...
Helen did some cleaning and laundry, while I vacuumed the place. Our humble abode is looking nice and clean for our visitor.
By 10 a.m. or so, Helen sent me to the Suncoast to stimulate the Las Vegas economy. I was happy to oblige. After making the short drive to the 'Coast, I found a nice $5 blackjack table and sat down with four other players. I was making some hands and the dealer was busting, so I quickly got up $60-70 or so. Thanks to the dealer's generosity, all of the players were doing pretty well.
But the highlight of the table came when a guy walked up and laid three crisp $100 bills in the betting circle and said "money plays." Since the rest of us were betting $5-15, this move caught our attention. So the dealer pitched the cards and Mr. Big Bet showed a blackjack - he won $450 on his bet!
So after that he was betting $100-300 per hand, while the rest of us doddled along with our smaller bets. Still, we all kept winning.
Eventually Mr. Big Bet shoved out a bet of $400 and was dealt 8-8 while the dealer showed a 9. All good bj players know to ALWAYS split 8s, and this guy did. On one eight he caught a 10, on the other he caught, yep, another 8 - which he split again! So now he has three bets of $400 each. On the second 8 he got a face card for 18. On the third eight, he caught a 6 for 14 and hit again, snagging a 4 for his third 18 - all against the dealer's 9... Well, the dealer showed a 7 in the hole (16) then slapped a 6 on top - BUSTED! The table erupted as we all high-fived the guy's good fortune on his huge bet. He won $1,200 on one hand!!
Soon after, he cashed out - a $2400 winner. I left the table a little while later, a $130 winner, and had a comped buffet lunch - grilled chicken, green beans, fried rice with orange chicken and chocolate pudding.
While playing bj, I was talking with a pit boss about this new promotion they have where if you log 12 hours of table play you get a free Suncoast jacket. My punchcard had about 6 hours of play on it and I asked her to give me two more hours worth. Instead, she punched out the remaining 6 hours and sent me over to get my new jacket. It was a nice gesture, the kind that the Suncoast staff seems to understand is good for business. They ARE friendly there.
Tonight we're heading out to McCarran Airport to pick up Gail. She was originally supposed to arrive at 9 p.m., but her flight out of Detroit was delayed and now she's arriving at 11 p.m. We plan to hit the Strip for awhile, grabbing some food at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar at Harrah's. Then we'll drive her down the Strip to see the lights and crowds. It'll be fun, especially since this is Gail's first visit to Las Vegas.
Tomorrow, Gail and Helen will be doing a lot of shopping and I plan to play a lot of poker. So it's pretty probable that this adventure will continue...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Weekend Update
Our Sunday began with an 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church which is only a couple of miles from our Sahara Avenue apartment. We were home shortly after 9 and I made us a pancake breakfast, complete with Knott's Berry Farm Strawberry syrup. Pretty tasty.
We just relaxed a while, watching some TV, until about 1 p.m. when we hit the road for a couple of errands. When we were in TC, Helen had helped one of Natalie's girls, Brandi, put together a doll house. Since Brandi's birthday is Feb. 25, Helen wanted to get her some dollhouse furniture to furnish the house that the soon-to-be 15-year-old already has. So we hit the road in search of a hobby shop that sold doll furniture. Helen had found one in the phone book and called them to make sure they were open on Sunday.
The place was about 10 miles away and in a less-than-elegant part of Las Vegas. In fact, I'm glad we were going there in the afternoon and not at night. After a little searching, we found the place, which actually had a pretty nice selection of doll stuff. Helen was enjoying it, I could tell.
Helen found what she was looking for and we were headed off to our next stop - Target - which is less than 2 miles from our apt. Helen needed a few things and we were soon heading home.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning the apt. in preparation for the arrival tomorrow night of Helen's friend Gail. We also watched a little TV before I whipped up some chili dogs for dinner. Not that healthy, but pretty tasty...
On Saturday we shared our Valentine's Day tradition. Early on in our marriage, Helen and I started a tradition of privately exchanging cards and sharing a box of quality chocolates. We've rarely done the "Big Dinner Out" type of Valentine's Day celebration. It's just not for us. Anyway, this year I found a delicious assortment of chocolates at the Ghiradelli shop on the Strip and we really enjoyed it last night.
Earlier in the day, I had gone to Bally's for some poker. During a 5-hour session, I eked out a $51 profit, but with a break or two it could have been several times that. I lost a $300 pot when a guy hit his flush draw on the river beating my K-K Q-Q. Lost another $100 pot when my straight was beaten by another river flush draw that connected. It was an up and down day. In fact, I was only $15 up when I won $36 on the second-to-last hand that I played.
Tomorrow night we'll be heading to McCarran Airport to pick up Gail when she arrives, sometime around 9 .m. They'll be shopping maniacs for a couple of days and I'll be logging some serious poker time as our adventure continues...
We just relaxed a while, watching some TV, until about 1 p.m. when we hit the road for a couple of errands. When we were in TC, Helen had helped one of Natalie's girls, Brandi, put together a doll house. Since Brandi's birthday is Feb. 25, Helen wanted to get her some dollhouse furniture to furnish the house that the soon-to-be 15-year-old already has. So we hit the road in search of a hobby shop that sold doll furniture. Helen had found one in the phone book and called them to make sure they were open on Sunday.
The place was about 10 miles away and in a less-than-elegant part of Las Vegas. In fact, I'm glad we were going there in the afternoon and not at night. After a little searching, we found the place, which actually had a pretty nice selection of doll stuff. Helen was enjoying it, I could tell.
Helen found what she was looking for and we were headed off to our next stop - Target - which is less than 2 miles from our apt. Helen needed a few things and we were soon heading home.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning the apt. in preparation for the arrival tomorrow night of Helen's friend Gail. We also watched a little TV before I whipped up some chili dogs for dinner. Not that healthy, but pretty tasty...
On Saturday we shared our Valentine's Day tradition. Early on in our marriage, Helen and I started a tradition of privately exchanging cards and sharing a box of quality chocolates. We've rarely done the "Big Dinner Out" type of Valentine's Day celebration. It's just not for us. Anyway, this year I found a delicious assortment of chocolates at the Ghiradelli shop on the Strip and we really enjoyed it last night.
Earlier in the day, I had gone to Bally's for some poker. During a 5-hour session, I eked out a $51 profit, but with a break or two it could have been several times that. I lost a $300 pot when a guy hit his flush draw on the river beating my K-K Q-Q. Lost another $100 pot when my straight was beaten by another river flush draw that connected. It was an up and down day. In fact, I was only $15 up when I won $36 on the second-to-last hand that I played.
Tomorrow night we'll be heading to McCarran Airport to pick up Gail when she arrives, sometime around 9 .m. They'll be shopping maniacs for a couple of days and I'll be logging some serious poker time as our adventure continues...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday the 13th Unlucky? Not So Much
Our Friday the 13th started with our usual morning routine of coffee and watching the Today show.
Shortly after 10 a.m. I took Helen to a nearby salon to get her hair cut by her favorite LV stylist, April. I dropped her off at the salon, which is not even a quarter-mile from our apartment, and drove home to do some reading while she was getting her hair done.
I have just started a great baseball book "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy. It's about the rollicking 1908 baseball season and is a terrific glimpse of how the game was played a century ago.
Just before noon, Helen called and I picked her up from the salon. We returned home and I whipped up some lunch - a turkey sandwich on pita for her and chicken salad on pita for me. Then Helen spent two hours solving the problems of the "Desperate Housewives" while I headed to the post office to mail a package, then on to the Suncoast to solve the mystery of their blackjack tables.
Arriving at the Suncoast, I found a seat at a $5 table and bought in for $100. There were two other players at the table and we all started winning. I was betting $5 to $15 and slowly built up a nice stack. After about 45 minutes, I was up $70 and decided to take my profit and walk. I stopped by the sports book and decided to invest $20 of our winnings in a 2-team money line hockey parlay. If the Wings and the Blackhawks both win their games, I would cash a ticket worth $52 (my original $20 +32 profit). Sadly, the Wings (with the best record in the NHL) lost to Columbus...
Anyway, we had a $50 profit and decided to celebrate with a takeout dinner from Del Taco, some really tasty Mexican fast food. Helen opted for steak tacos, while I took on their manly Macho Burrito.
Now we're watching some TV and making some plans for tomorrow. It'll be a busy Saturday - Helen's going to cut my hair, I have to return some library books and hit the grocery store for a few items. It may sound mundane, but the adventure continues...
Shortly after 10 a.m. I took Helen to a nearby salon to get her hair cut by her favorite LV stylist, April. I dropped her off at the salon, which is not even a quarter-mile from our apartment, and drove home to do some reading while she was getting her hair done.
I have just started a great baseball book "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy. It's about the rollicking 1908 baseball season and is a terrific glimpse of how the game was played a century ago.
Just before noon, Helen called and I picked her up from the salon. We returned home and I whipped up some lunch - a turkey sandwich on pita for her and chicken salad on pita for me. Then Helen spent two hours solving the problems of the "Desperate Housewives" while I headed to the post office to mail a package, then on to the Suncoast to solve the mystery of their blackjack tables.
Arriving at the Suncoast, I found a seat at a $5 table and bought in for $100. There were two other players at the table and we all started winning. I was betting $5 to $15 and slowly built up a nice stack. After about 45 minutes, I was up $70 and decided to take my profit and walk. I stopped by the sports book and decided to invest $20 of our winnings in a 2-team money line hockey parlay. If the Wings and the Blackhawks both win their games, I would cash a ticket worth $52 (my original $20 +32 profit). Sadly, the Wings (with the best record in the NHL) lost to Columbus...
Anyway, we had a $50 profit and decided to celebrate with a takeout dinner from Del Taco, some really tasty Mexican fast food. Helen opted for steak tacos, while I took on their manly Macho Burrito.
Now we're watching some TV and making some plans for tomorrow. It'll be a busy Saturday - Helen's going to cut my hair, I have to return some library books and hit the grocery store for a few items. It may sound mundane, but the adventure continues...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Poker For Fun & Profit
For the second time this week, I rolled down to the Strip to play poker at Bally's.
The Bally's poker room is not really a room at all, but a section of the casino separated from the other table games by velvet ropes. It's not very luxurious, but it's functional, fun and - most importantly - profitable for me.
I arrived around 9:30 and the room was dead silent. I spoke with the mgr. and put my name on the list for $1-2 No-Limit. Within 15 minutes, there were six of us playing and soon the whole table filled up. Originally, I was going to sit in the #5 seat, across from the dealer. But I had some luck from the #1 seat on Tuesday and decided to sit there again today. It was a good choice. After buying in for $100, I started the session by winning the first three hands and was immediately up $60 or so.
My biggest hand came when I looked down and saw K-4 of Spades. I put in $2 to see the flop, which came K-K-7 with two Hearts. I raised to $10 and got only one caller. The turn was the 4 of hearts, giving me a full house. I bet $20 and the other guy went All-In, shoving $55 into the pot. I called. The river card was a small diamond, 2 or 3, I think, no help for either of us. The guy showed Q-9 of Hearts, giving him a heart flush. I showed my full house and the dealer shoved the $150 pot my way.
That was the only HUGE pot that I won, but I won several in the $40-50 range. After about 3 hours of play, I was up about $260 and thinking of trying to push it to $300. I lost a couple of hands and decided to take my profits and leave. I walked with $224 in profit, then went to have a chicken salad on rye sandwich (comped) at the Nosh Snack Bar.
Before I drove home, I stopped by the sports book and bought 3 basketball tickets - Louisville, Buffalo and UCLA. As of right now, two of them have lost...Louisville and Buffalo. Go BRUINS!
Then I drove home, a happy winner.
While I was playing poker, Helen logged some quality phone time with her friend Sherry, Lois Edson, sister Natalie, daughter Anna, and granddaughter Katherine. For dinner, I whipped up some scrambled eggs and hash browns. Breakfast at night...
Thursday is one of our favorite TV nights, with the NBC comedy lineup. So we'll just chill out for a while, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
The Bally's poker room is not really a room at all, but a section of the casino separated from the other table games by velvet ropes. It's not very luxurious, but it's functional, fun and - most importantly - profitable for me.
I arrived around 9:30 and the room was dead silent. I spoke with the mgr. and put my name on the list for $1-2 No-Limit. Within 15 minutes, there were six of us playing and soon the whole table filled up. Originally, I was going to sit in the #5 seat, across from the dealer. But I had some luck from the #1 seat on Tuesday and decided to sit there again today. It was a good choice. After buying in for $100, I started the session by winning the first three hands and was immediately up $60 or so.
My biggest hand came when I looked down and saw K-4 of Spades. I put in $2 to see the flop, which came K-K-7 with two Hearts. I raised to $10 and got only one caller. The turn was the 4 of hearts, giving me a full house. I bet $20 and the other guy went All-In, shoving $55 into the pot. I called. The river card was a small diamond, 2 or 3, I think, no help for either of us. The guy showed Q-9 of Hearts, giving him a heart flush. I showed my full house and the dealer shoved the $150 pot my way.
That was the only HUGE pot that I won, but I won several in the $40-50 range. After about 3 hours of play, I was up about $260 and thinking of trying to push it to $300. I lost a couple of hands and decided to take my profits and leave. I walked with $224 in profit, then went to have a chicken salad on rye sandwich (comped) at the Nosh Snack Bar.
Before I drove home, I stopped by the sports book and bought 3 basketball tickets - Louisville, Buffalo and UCLA. As of right now, two of them have lost...Louisville and Buffalo. Go BRUINS!
Then I drove home, a happy winner.
While I was playing poker, Helen logged some quality phone time with her friend Sherry, Lois Edson, sister Natalie, daughter Anna, and granddaughter Katherine. For dinner, I whipped up some scrambled eggs and hash browns. Breakfast at night...
Thursday is one of our favorite TV nights, with the NBC comedy lineup. So we'll just chill out for a while, but tomorrow our adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Visits to Suncoast & Red Rock Casinos
Our Wednesday began with me drinking some coffee, paying some bills online and then taking Helen to her Bible Study Class at the Lakes Lutheran Church at 10 a.m.
After dropping her off for the 90-minute class, I drove to the Suncoast where I was able to rack up a blackjack profit of $61 in about an hour. Not content with that, I took $40 of it and bought two $20 basketball parlay tickets (which both lost...aaargh). But I still had a profit of $21. Then I headed back to the church to pick her up and return to our apartment. By then it was almost lunch time, so I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches.
At noon, Helen likes to watch her two-hour block of "Desperate Housewives" so I headed over to the Red Rock Casino. When I arrived, they had only one $5 table going. The rest were $25 and $100 tables, so I didn't play right away. I did sit down at a video blackjack game, shoved in a $10 and ran it up to $15 before I cashed out. By this time I found a seat at that $5 table, so I sat down and bought in for $40. I was never able to get a run going and eventually I frittered away my buy-in. It was time to leave...
By the time I got home it was around 4 p.m. and I just checked my emails and started to get ready for dinner. Nothing too special tonight...leftover spaghetti with Italian sausage. It was still tasty.
After dinner we made a Birthday call to our son Scott, who turns 38 today. You know you're getting older when your kids are approaching 40.:)
Tonight we're reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
After dropping her off for the 90-minute class, I drove to the Suncoast where I was able to rack up a blackjack profit of $61 in about an hour. Not content with that, I took $40 of it and bought two $20 basketball parlay tickets (which both lost...aaargh). But I still had a profit of $21. Then I headed back to the church to pick her up and return to our apartment. By then it was almost lunch time, so I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches.
At noon, Helen likes to watch her two-hour block of "Desperate Housewives" so I headed over to the Red Rock Casino. When I arrived, they had only one $5 table going. The rest were $25 and $100 tables, so I didn't play right away. I did sit down at a video blackjack game, shoved in a $10 and ran it up to $15 before I cashed out. By this time I found a seat at that $5 table, so I sat down and bought in for $40. I was never able to get a run going and eventually I frittered away my buy-in. It was time to leave...
By the time I got home it was around 4 p.m. and I just checked my emails and started to get ready for dinner. Nothing too special tonight...leftover spaghetti with Italian sausage. It was still tasty.
After dinner we made a Birthday call to our son Scott, who turns 38 today. You know you're getting older when your kids are approaching 40.:)
Tonight we're reading and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Sad Start to the Day Then Things Look Better
Our day started at 7 a.m. when Helen got a phone call from her friend Gail, who is coming to visit us next week.
Before visiting us, Gail is flying to Florida on Friday to spend the weekend with her mother who has been very ill for a while. Sadly, Gail's mother died this morning. She had been in poor health for months, but it's still a shocking thing when one of your parents dies. Helen spent a long time on the phone with Gail, who is still going to Florida on Friday and coming to see us on Monday. She arrives around 8:30 Monday night...
After talking with Gail, Helen encouraged me to go play some poker, so I headed to Bally's. The poker room was quiet, with only 1 table going. I was able to get right into the game, but the only seat available was the #1 seat, to the immediate left of the dealer. It's one of my least favorite seats, but I took it.
I bought in for $100 and for the first half hour, I didn't really play much. Then I looked down at Q-Q and found myself involved in a pot with one other guy. When things settled, I had shoved all but $20 into the pot, which I lost to his pocket K-K.
I re-bought for another $100, determined to play better and I did. I was able to win a few small pots and eventually I had built my stack up to $180, only $20 short of being even. Then came a hand that set the tone for the next hour...
I was dealt K-10 of Spades and bet $6. Four players called and the flop came K-K-4 with two Hearts. I bet $25 and two guys folded, while the other guy raised me to $50. I called. The turn card was 10 of Hearts, giving me a full house. I bet $50 and the guy shoved his whole stack of $150 into the pot. I called and showed the full house...he had the Ace of Hearts for a flush. I won the pot of more than $300. Ironically, just a few days ago I lost an Ace High Heart flush to a similar full house...poker can be strange.
The guy was steaming and he rebought for $200. A few hands later, we tangled again... I held a J-10 of Spades when I bet $10 and he was the only caller. The flop came A-K of Spades and the Q of Diamonds. This gave me a Straight with two shots at a Royal Flush (which would pay a jackpot of $3,200). I bet $10 and the guy raised me to $50. I called his $50. The turn card was a 4 of Diamonds. I checked, the guy bet $50 and I went ALL-IN. For the second time in 10 minutes, he shoved his whole stack in against me. The river card was a 2 of Clubs...I showed the Straight...he mumbled and mucked his hand...
By this time, I had built a stack of over $800 and just kept winning hands. Eventually I had $1,060 in front of me - a profit of $860 when I cashed out at about 3 p.m. So five hours of poker was pretty profitable today...
Leaving the poker room, I went to the sports book and put a $30 bet on MSU -4 over U-M. Go GREEN! The Spartans rolled and I'll be cashing that ticket in a few days.
When I got home, Helen and I decided to celebrate with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory. Helen had the Chicken Tacos with beans and rice, while I chose the BBQ Chicken Pizza. CF never fails to please the palate...
Helen is on the phone with our Grandson Alan, whose birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. The namesake will soon be 16. We're just kicking back watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Before visiting us, Gail is flying to Florida on Friday to spend the weekend with her mother who has been very ill for a while. Sadly, Gail's mother died this morning. She had been in poor health for months, but it's still a shocking thing when one of your parents dies. Helen spent a long time on the phone with Gail, who is still going to Florida on Friday and coming to see us on Monday. She arrives around 8:30 Monday night...
After talking with Gail, Helen encouraged me to go play some poker, so I headed to Bally's. The poker room was quiet, with only 1 table going. I was able to get right into the game, but the only seat available was the #1 seat, to the immediate left of the dealer. It's one of my least favorite seats, but I took it.
I bought in for $100 and for the first half hour, I didn't really play much. Then I looked down at Q-Q and found myself involved in a pot with one other guy. When things settled, I had shoved all but $20 into the pot, which I lost to his pocket K-K.
I re-bought for another $100, determined to play better and I did. I was able to win a few small pots and eventually I had built my stack up to $180, only $20 short of being even. Then came a hand that set the tone for the next hour...
I was dealt K-10 of Spades and bet $6. Four players called and the flop came K-K-4 with two Hearts. I bet $25 and two guys folded, while the other guy raised me to $50. I called. The turn card was 10 of Hearts, giving me a full house. I bet $50 and the guy shoved his whole stack of $150 into the pot. I called and showed the full house...he had the Ace of Hearts for a flush. I won the pot of more than $300. Ironically, just a few days ago I lost an Ace High Heart flush to a similar full house...poker can be strange.
The guy was steaming and he rebought for $200. A few hands later, we tangled again... I held a J-10 of Spades when I bet $10 and he was the only caller. The flop came A-K of Spades and the Q of Diamonds. This gave me a Straight with two shots at a Royal Flush (which would pay a jackpot of $3,200). I bet $10 and the guy raised me to $50. I called his $50. The turn card was a 4 of Diamonds. I checked, the guy bet $50 and I went ALL-IN. For the second time in 10 minutes, he shoved his whole stack in against me. The river card was a 2 of Clubs...I showed the Straight...he mumbled and mucked his hand...
By this time, I had built a stack of over $800 and just kept winning hands. Eventually I had $1,060 in front of me - a profit of $860 when I cashed out at about 3 p.m. So five hours of poker was pretty profitable today...
Leaving the poker room, I went to the sports book and put a $30 bet on MSU -4 over U-M. Go GREEN! The Spartans rolled and I'll be cashing that ticket in a few days.
When I got home, Helen and I decided to celebrate with takeout from the Cheesecake Factory. Helen had the Chicken Tacos with beans and rice, while I chose the BBQ Chicken Pizza. CF never fails to please the palate...
Helen is on the phone with our Grandson Alan, whose birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. The namesake will soon be 16. We're just kicking back watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Hey, Let's Go Stimulate the Economy
Today was devoted to doing what we could to stimulate the stagnant American economy - I hope you all felt a little tingle.
Helen and I set off about 10 a.m. to exchange some bedsheets at Wal-Mart. We were there yesterday and picked up twin sheets when we really needed queen-sized sheets. Mere details, right? Let me say right up front, Wal-Mart is NOT my favorite store. I just don't like the vibe I get from shopping there. Anyway, the Great Las Vegas Sheet Swap went smoothly. We were in and out in about 15 minutes.
I brought Helen back to the apartment and set off to the post office to mail a birthday gift to one of Natalie's foster girls, Chelsea Stewart. It was a little after noon when I arrived at the P.O. and the parking lot was jammed - bad sign. Inside, you'd think it was the pre-Christmas shipping rush. There were literally two dozen people ahead of me in line for the 3 windows. I checked the time, just to see how much of my life would be wasted in this line. Twenty-two minutes later, I finally made it to the counter. Anyway, the package is shipped and I hope Chelsea enjoys it.
Then I had some grocery shopping to do. Seems like every Monday I find myself heading to the local Albertson's for a few things...$92 later I hauled out eight bags of groceries. If I didn't mention it, food is pricey here. It's almost cheaper to eat at a buffet, but they can be pricey too.
While I was out stimulating the economy, Helen was on the phone talking with our niece, Katie, and putting new sheets & pillows on our bed. I got back to the apartment around 2:30 and just played on the laptop for awhile, then got ready to get dinner started.
Tonight's main course was Spaghetti with Grilled Italian Sausage and Onions in a hearty marinara sauce. A fresh crusty sourdough bread went perfectly. Now we're just kicking back, watching some TV and catching up on some e-mails and Facebook.
But tomorrow, I'm pretty sure, the adventure continues...
Helen and I set off about 10 a.m. to exchange some bedsheets at Wal-Mart. We were there yesterday and picked up twin sheets when we really needed queen-sized sheets. Mere details, right? Let me say right up front, Wal-Mart is NOT my favorite store. I just don't like the vibe I get from shopping there. Anyway, the Great Las Vegas Sheet Swap went smoothly. We were in and out in about 15 minutes.
I brought Helen back to the apartment and set off to the post office to mail a birthday gift to one of Natalie's foster girls, Chelsea Stewart. It was a little after noon when I arrived at the P.O. and the parking lot was jammed - bad sign. Inside, you'd think it was the pre-Christmas shipping rush. There were literally two dozen people ahead of me in line for the 3 windows. I checked the time, just to see how much of my life would be wasted in this line. Twenty-two minutes later, I finally made it to the counter. Anyway, the package is shipped and I hope Chelsea enjoys it.
Then I had some grocery shopping to do. Seems like every Monday I find myself heading to the local Albertson's for a few things...$92 later I hauled out eight bags of groceries. If I didn't mention it, food is pricey here. It's almost cheaper to eat at a buffet, but they can be pricey too.
While I was out stimulating the economy, Helen was on the phone talking with our niece, Katie, and putting new sheets & pillows on our bed. I got back to the apartment around 2:30 and just played on the laptop for awhile, then got ready to get dinner started.
Tonight's main course was Spaghetti with Grilled Italian Sausage and Onions in a hearty marinara sauce. A fresh crusty sourdough bread went perfectly. Now we're just kicking back, watching some TV and catching up on some e-mails and Facebook.
But tomorrow, I'm pretty sure, the adventure continues...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Weekend Update
Our day began with an 8 a.m. church service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Helen noted that it was apparently a record-setting appearance by me - the fourth consecutive Sunday that I've appeared in a church. A new indoor record!
After church we came home for a quick lunch - turkey and cheddar in a pita pocket for Helen and leftover pizza for me.
Then it was off to Wal-Mart where Helen wanted to buy some linens in preparation for the visit by her friend Gail, who arrives on Feb. 16. Helen also needed some gift wrapping and other items. We found most of what we needed at Wal-Mart, then made a quick stop at Target to finish out the list.
Unfortunately, we picked up the wrong size sheets and will have to make a return trip to Wal-Mart tomorrow.
When we got home, around noon, I decided to visit the Suncoast to see if they were still giving away money. Apparently they have changed that policy, because they treated me poorly. In about 3 hours, I dropped $35 at the blackjack table and $10 in a video poker machine. I thought about betting an NBA game - the Lakers +5 vs the Cavs - but didn't. Of course, it was a winning bet, AAARGH...
While I was losing money, Helen was on the phone with her sister Nat and her friend Gail, both in TC. They are enjoying a brief warm spell that has some in northern Michigan thinking about spring.
For dinner today, I made lasagna (Thank You, Stouffers) with a side salad of romaine lettuce, red onions, roma tomatoes and shredded cheddar.
Now we're just relaxing, watching TV. Helen is reading a mystery.
Yesterday, I had a disappointing visit to the Imperial Palace where I played poker for about 7 hours and walked out with a profit of $15. Even though I won, it was a letdown because I should have won MUCH more. It all revolved around one hand - the final hand I played.
At the time I had a stack of about $80 and I was dealt A-5 of Hearts and called a $6 raise. The flop showed the 3 and 8 of Hearts and 10 of Diamonds. One guy bet $10 and two of us called. I was looking for either an Ace or a fifth Heart to give me an Ace-high flush. The turn card was what I wanted, the 10 of Hearts. I bet $20 and one guy called. The river card was a jack of Clubs - no apparent help. I bet $20, really expecting the other guy to fold, but he raised me $20 which I quickly called. I showed my Ace-High Flush and he showed me a 3-10. His full house won the pot, which was worth about $200....I never saw the full house - I thought he might have 3 10s, since there were two of them on the board. If I had won that hand, I would have gone home with more than $200, making it a worthwhile day...
When I got home, I went over to a nearby takeout place - Jason's Deli - where I got a HUGE corned beef on rye while Helen got a Chicken Wrap that turned out to be a bit too spicey for her tastes...
So tomorrow it's off to Wal-Mart where, I'm sure, the adventure continues...
After church we came home for a quick lunch - turkey and cheddar in a pita pocket for Helen and leftover pizza for me.
Then it was off to Wal-Mart where Helen wanted to buy some linens in preparation for the visit by her friend Gail, who arrives on Feb. 16. Helen also needed some gift wrapping and other items. We found most of what we needed at Wal-Mart, then made a quick stop at Target to finish out the list.
Unfortunately, we picked up the wrong size sheets and will have to make a return trip to Wal-Mart tomorrow.
When we got home, around noon, I decided to visit the Suncoast to see if they were still giving away money. Apparently they have changed that policy, because they treated me poorly. In about 3 hours, I dropped $35 at the blackjack table and $10 in a video poker machine. I thought about betting an NBA game - the Lakers +5 vs the Cavs - but didn't. Of course, it was a winning bet, AAARGH...
While I was losing money, Helen was on the phone with her sister Nat and her friend Gail, both in TC. They are enjoying a brief warm spell that has some in northern Michigan thinking about spring.
For dinner today, I made lasagna (Thank You, Stouffers) with a side salad of romaine lettuce, red onions, roma tomatoes and shredded cheddar.
Now we're just relaxing, watching TV. Helen is reading a mystery.
Yesterday, I had a disappointing visit to the Imperial Palace where I played poker for about 7 hours and walked out with a profit of $15. Even though I won, it was a letdown because I should have won MUCH more. It all revolved around one hand - the final hand I played.
At the time I had a stack of about $80 and I was dealt A-5 of Hearts and called a $6 raise. The flop showed the 3 and 8 of Hearts and 10 of Diamonds. One guy bet $10 and two of us called. I was looking for either an Ace or a fifth Heart to give me an Ace-high flush. The turn card was what I wanted, the 10 of Hearts. I bet $20 and one guy called. The river card was a jack of Clubs - no apparent help. I bet $20, really expecting the other guy to fold, but he raised me $20 which I quickly called. I showed my Ace-High Flush and he showed me a 3-10. His full house won the pot, which was worth about $200....I never saw the full house - I thought he might have 3 10s, since there were two of them on the board. If I had won that hand, I would have gone home with more than $200, making it a worthwhile day...
When I got home, I went over to a nearby takeout place - Jason's Deli - where I got a HUGE corned beef on rye while Helen got a Chicken Wrap that turned out to be a bit too spicey for her tastes...
So tomorrow it's off to Wal-Mart where, I'm sure, the adventure continues...
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Hey, Those Tourists Took My Chips
Helen encouraged me to hit the Strip and play a little poker with the weekend tourists, so by 9:30 I was pulling into Bally's parking deck.
I did a power walk directly from Bally's to the Imperial Palace poker room where they had two tables of $1-2 No Limit going. The IP room is not really a room at all, just a corner of the casino separated from the rest of the action by a 3-foot railing. It's also a little shabby - a couple of the tables seem to wobble when someone leans on them and the chairs are standard style with little padding. The chip slot where the dealer places the house's drop kept jamming on our table, requiring the floor person to come over every hour or so with a screwdriver to unjam the drop.
Despite all this, I like the place. The dealers and managers are friendly and the players are usually beginners or moderately experienced. Very few sharks swim in the waters of the IP. They hang at bigger houses like Venetian, Caesars Palace, MGM or Wynn.
Also, the IP provides free cookies for the players. They constantly restock a platter full of chocolate chips, oatmeal raisin and macadamia cookies. I had two and a coffee for lunch.
Anyway, I bought in for $100 and took the #1 seat, to the left of the dealer. It's not my favorite because it's sometimes hard to see the players in the 9 and 10 seats at the other end of the table.
This whole session can be defined by three HUGE hands - one I should have played, one I should NOT have played and one I did play.
About 4-5 hands after sitting down, I looked down at 8-8 and raised the pot $10. Four guys called. The flop came J-10-4 and one of the guys bet $60 into the pot of about $75. I thought about calling, but with the two over cards, I didn't want to put in most of my stack and folded. One guy called the raise. Eventually these two kept betting and the pot grew to just over $500. When they showed their hands, one guy had A-K of spades and missed his flush. The other had pocket 7-7...I folded the highest hand!!! If I had stayed, I would not have won $500 because the two finalists each put in $100 on the river, but it would have been around $300-350, if I had gone all-in.
A couple hours later, I had a stack of about $80 and was dealt K-Q of spades. I called a $6 bet and saw the flop come K-K-7...SWEET. So I bet $15 and was raised to $40 by a cowboy-hat-wearing-guy to my immediate left. I went ALL-IN shoving my remaining $65 into the pot. He called and since it was just the two of us, we showed our cards. I flipped over my K-Q, giving me 3 Kings and he showed his pocket 7-7 - giving him a FULL HOUSE...Since the turn and river didn't hit my Q, I lost....AAARGH.
I could have walked, but I decided to rebuy for another $100.
My plan was to play until about 4:30, then head home. About 4 p.m., my stack was about $85 and I was hoping to hit one good hand before leaving. Many of the pots in this game were over $100, so I still had hopes of breaking even for the day. It would only take one or two big pots to make me a winner.
I looked down at my Q-10 and decided to call a $6 bet. The flop came J-9-8...I FLOPPED A STRAIGHT. So now my strategy was to build as big a pot as possible. A guy bet $10 and I was the only one to call. River was a 3...no help there for him, I figured. But the guy shoved his whole stack in - About $70. I immediately called.
He flipped over a 10-7...we both flopped a straight, but mine was Q-high to his J-high. The dealer shoved the chips my way and the guy got so mad he launched an F-bomb and stomped out of the poker room...About 30 seconds later, he sheepishly returned to snatch his near-full Heineken and stomped out again. Classy, huh...
That was the last hand I played. I got back most of the chips I lost early, but still walked away a $42 loser.
Something strange happened as I walked from the IP to the car at Bally's. Entering Bally's you take an escalator that delivers you down one story from the casino's elevated moving walkway. As I stepped on the escalator, I looked down at a security guard who had a bushy Wilfred Brimley mustache and a beer paunch. He was glaring at someone on the escalator - me.
"Sir, you need to step over here to the side," he said as I exited the escalator.
"Why?"
"We believe you were just trespassing at the Flamingo."
"I wasn't even at the Flamingo, I just left the Imperial Palace poker room."
At this point, Big-Bellied Barney Fife talks into his walkie talkie on his shoulder, telling someone that I claim to have not been at the Flamingo.
"Are you a guest here," he asked me.
"No, I'm a local and I'm trying to get home to have dinner with my wife."
"OK, you can go."
"Thanks. And I accept your apology," I said as sarcastically as possible.
"Oh, yeah, Sorry."
Later, I thought I should have let him rough me up a bit, then slap Bally's with a lawsuit. Maybe I could have gotten a few thousand in a settlement. Helen didn't think this was a good idea and would have gotten me banned from Bally's - one of my favorite places to play. She's probably right...
So then I drove home where Helen was on the phone with her friend Gail, who's coming to visit on Feb. 16. They're planning 3 days of shopping, lunching and girly fun.
For dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads of romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar cheese. Then we chilled out watching "Monk" and munching on some popcorn...ah, life in the Vegas Fast Lane...
But today, the adventure continues...
I did a power walk directly from Bally's to the Imperial Palace poker room where they had two tables of $1-2 No Limit going. The IP room is not really a room at all, just a corner of the casino separated from the rest of the action by a 3-foot railing. It's also a little shabby - a couple of the tables seem to wobble when someone leans on them and the chairs are standard style with little padding. The chip slot where the dealer places the house's drop kept jamming on our table, requiring the floor person to come over every hour or so with a screwdriver to unjam the drop.
Despite all this, I like the place. The dealers and managers are friendly and the players are usually beginners or moderately experienced. Very few sharks swim in the waters of the IP. They hang at bigger houses like Venetian, Caesars Palace, MGM or Wynn.
Also, the IP provides free cookies for the players. They constantly restock a platter full of chocolate chips, oatmeal raisin and macadamia cookies. I had two and a coffee for lunch.
Anyway, I bought in for $100 and took the #1 seat, to the left of the dealer. It's not my favorite because it's sometimes hard to see the players in the 9 and 10 seats at the other end of the table.
This whole session can be defined by three HUGE hands - one I should have played, one I should NOT have played and one I did play.
About 4-5 hands after sitting down, I looked down at 8-8 and raised the pot $10. Four guys called. The flop came J-10-4 and one of the guys bet $60 into the pot of about $75. I thought about calling, but with the two over cards, I didn't want to put in most of my stack and folded. One guy called the raise. Eventually these two kept betting and the pot grew to just over $500. When they showed their hands, one guy had A-K of spades and missed his flush. The other had pocket 7-7...I folded the highest hand!!! If I had stayed, I would not have won $500 because the two finalists each put in $100 on the river, but it would have been around $300-350, if I had gone all-in.
A couple hours later, I had a stack of about $80 and was dealt K-Q of spades. I called a $6 bet and saw the flop come K-K-7...SWEET. So I bet $15 and was raised to $40 by a cowboy-hat-wearing-guy to my immediate left. I went ALL-IN shoving my remaining $65 into the pot. He called and since it was just the two of us, we showed our cards. I flipped over my K-Q, giving me 3 Kings and he showed his pocket 7-7 - giving him a FULL HOUSE...Since the turn and river didn't hit my Q, I lost....AAARGH.
I could have walked, but I decided to rebuy for another $100.
My plan was to play until about 4:30, then head home. About 4 p.m., my stack was about $85 and I was hoping to hit one good hand before leaving. Many of the pots in this game were over $100, so I still had hopes of breaking even for the day. It would only take one or two big pots to make me a winner.
I looked down at my Q-10 and decided to call a $6 bet. The flop came J-9-8...I FLOPPED A STRAIGHT. So now my strategy was to build as big a pot as possible. A guy bet $10 and I was the only one to call. River was a 3...no help there for him, I figured. But the guy shoved his whole stack in - About $70. I immediately called.
He flipped over a 10-7...we both flopped a straight, but mine was Q-high to his J-high. The dealer shoved the chips my way and the guy got so mad he launched an F-bomb and stomped out of the poker room...About 30 seconds later, he sheepishly returned to snatch his near-full Heineken and stomped out again. Classy, huh...
That was the last hand I played. I got back most of the chips I lost early, but still walked away a $42 loser.
Something strange happened as I walked from the IP to the car at Bally's. Entering Bally's you take an escalator that delivers you down one story from the casino's elevated moving walkway. As I stepped on the escalator, I looked down at a security guard who had a bushy Wilfred Brimley mustache and a beer paunch. He was glaring at someone on the escalator - me.
"Sir, you need to step over here to the side," he said as I exited the escalator.
"Why?"
"We believe you were just trespassing at the Flamingo."
"I wasn't even at the Flamingo, I just left the Imperial Palace poker room."
At this point, Big-Bellied Barney Fife talks into his walkie talkie on his shoulder, telling someone that I claim to have not been at the Flamingo.
"Are you a guest here," he asked me.
"No, I'm a local and I'm trying to get home to have dinner with my wife."
"OK, you can go."
"Thanks. And I accept your apology," I said as sarcastically as possible.
"Oh, yeah, Sorry."
Later, I thought I should have let him rough me up a bit, then slap Bally's with a lawsuit. Maybe I could have gotten a few thousand in a settlement. Helen didn't think this was a good idea and would have gotten me banned from Bally's - one of my favorite places to play. She's probably right...
So then I drove home where Helen was on the phone with her friend Gail, who's coming to visit on Feb. 16. They're planning 3 days of shopping, lunching and girly fun.
For dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads of romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar cheese. Then we chilled out watching "Monk" and munching on some popcorn...ah, life in the Vegas Fast Lane...
But today, the adventure continues...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Strip Poker
Thursday is often a good day to play poker on the Las Vegas Strip, or Strip Poker.
Unlike Fridays and Saturdays when many of the good poker casinos are jammed with players, Thursday is just beginning to see the tourists roll into town, especially the young poker guns with their knock-off raybans and their ball caps on backwards.
So today I hit the Strip early, parking at Bill's Gambling Hall. BGH was pretty quiet, but I cashed a couple of hoops tickets (Akron crushed EMU and OSU-Purdue went well over 129) and pocketed $77 from them. Then I walked through the Flamingo, past O'Shea's and into the Imperial Palace. I got there around 9:30 a.m. and immediately got a seat in a $4-8 Limit Hold 'Em game, where only 4 other guys were playing. We played 5-handed for a while, then filled the 10-seat table within about 20 minutes.
I had some good early luck, hitting several flops and building up a profit of almost $70 at one point. There were no HUGE hands, but a number of small, steady pots kept me solvent. My plan was to play until around 3:30 or 4 p.m. then stop at a post office on the way home. So around 3 p.m., I was trying to build my pile up over $100. That didn't happen. In fact, I lost a couple of nice pots with the second best hands and finally walked with a profit of only $23...not great, but a profit still.
On the way home, I stopped at the Post Office to ship some Valentine's gifts to the grandkids in Rockford.
While I was playing poker, Helen was on the phone trying to straighten out a prescription problem she's having with Walgreen's. Ironically, the meds she was calling about arrived in today's mail. Walgreen's shipped them on Jan. 16 and they arrived in TC on Jan. 26, then they were forwarded here to LV, arriving 10 days later. She also spent a long time talking with Natalie in Traverse City and reading.
When I got home, we decided on a takeout dinner. After some discussion we opted for Italian cuisine, well actually pizza! We tried a place about a mile from our apt - "East Side Pizza" located surprisingly on the west side of LV. It's a New York Pizza style place and it's walls are full of New York Yankees and Mets photos. Pretty interesting and the pizza was tasty!
Now we're just relaxing, getting ready to enjoy the NBC comedy lineup - Earl, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock - a two-hour chuckle fest!
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Unlike Fridays and Saturdays when many of the good poker casinos are jammed with players, Thursday is just beginning to see the tourists roll into town, especially the young poker guns with their knock-off raybans and their ball caps on backwards.
So today I hit the Strip early, parking at Bill's Gambling Hall. BGH was pretty quiet, but I cashed a couple of hoops tickets (Akron crushed EMU and OSU-Purdue went well over 129) and pocketed $77 from them. Then I walked through the Flamingo, past O'Shea's and into the Imperial Palace. I got there around 9:30 a.m. and immediately got a seat in a $4-8 Limit Hold 'Em game, where only 4 other guys were playing. We played 5-handed for a while, then filled the 10-seat table within about 20 minutes.
I had some good early luck, hitting several flops and building up a profit of almost $70 at one point. There were no HUGE hands, but a number of small, steady pots kept me solvent. My plan was to play until around 3:30 or 4 p.m. then stop at a post office on the way home. So around 3 p.m., I was trying to build my pile up over $100. That didn't happen. In fact, I lost a couple of nice pots with the second best hands and finally walked with a profit of only $23...not great, but a profit still.
On the way home, I stopped at the Post Office to ship some Valentine's gifts to the grandkids in Rockford.
While I was playing poker, Helen was on the phone trying to straighten out a prescription problem she's having with Walgreen's. Ironically, the meds she was calling about arrived in today's mail. Walgreen's shipped them on Jan. 16 and they arrived in TC on Jan. 26, then they were forwarded here to LV, arriving 10 days later. She also spent a long time talking with Natalie in Traverse City and reading.
When I got home, we decided on a takeout dinner. After some discussion we opted for Italian cuisine, well actually pizza! We tried a place about a mile from our apt - "East Side Pizza" located surprisingly on the west side of LV. It's a New York Pizza style place and it's walls are full of New York Yankees and Mets photos. Pretty interesting and the pizza was tasty!
Now we're just relaxing, getting ready to enjoy the NBC comedy lineup - Earl, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock - a two-hour chuckle fest!
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Running Errands and a bit of Blackjack
Wednesday mornings begin with Helen attending a Bible Study Class at 10 a.m. and me running errands during the 90 minutes that she's at the church.
I dropped her off shortly before 10 a.m. and headed off to take care of my errands. The first stop was the LV Post Office where there's usually a line stretching across the lobby. Surprisingly, today there were only 5 people ahead of me, so it didn't take long to ship out a box of Valentine's Day Gifts to the Texas grandkids.
Then it was off to a nearby Border's where I picked up a couple of books that are gifts.
My third stop was at the nearby Middle Eastern Market where we grabbed some fresh pita bread and lebne, along with a jar of roasted red peppers for an italian sausage & rice dinner that I'm planning. By then it was almost 11:30, so I headed back to pick Helen up from the church, then made it back to the apartment where I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
From noon to 2 p.m. Helen watches "Desperate Housewives," so I headed over to the Suncoast Casino for a couple of hours of blackjack. This didn't go so well. I found a spot at a $5 table and
immediately lost the first 3 hands. Then I'd win-one-lose-one-win-one-lose-one for a while. I never really had a strong run of cards. It didn't help that we had a woman at the table playing 3rd base who REFUSED to hit a 14 or 15 when the dealer had a big card showing. At least twice she caused the whole table to lose because the dealer got a card that she should have taken.
When the green felt dust settled and I headed to the apt around 3 p.m., I was down $30. Not bad considering I never had a big run.
For dinner tonight, I pulled together a couple of hefty salads with romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, avocado, corn, black beans, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese.
Now we're just relaxing in front of the TV. I'll probably pop some corn later. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
I dropped her off shortly before 10 a.m. and headed off to take care of my errands. The first stop was the LV Post Office where there's usually a line stretching across the lobby. Surprisingly, today there were only 5 people ahead of me, so it didn't take long to ship out a box of Valentine's Day Gifts to the Texas grandkids.
Then it was off to a nearby Border's where I picked up a couple of books that are gifts.
My third stop was at the nearby Middle Eastern Market where we grabbed some fresh pita bread and lebne, along with a jar of roasted red peppers for an italian sausage & rice dinner that I'm planning. By then it was almost 11:30, so I headed back to pick Helen up from the church, then made it back to the apartment where I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
From noon to 2 p.m. Helen watches "Desperate Housewives," so I headed over to the Suncoast Casino for a couple of hours of blackjack. This didn't go so well. I found a spot at a $5 table and
immediately lost the first 3 hands. Then I'd win-one-lose-one-win-one-lose-one for a while. I never really had a strong run of cards. It didn't help that we had a woman at the table playing 3rd base who REFUSED to hit a 14 or 15 when the dealer had a big card showing. At least twice she caused the whole table to lose because the dealer got a card that she should have taken.
When the green felt dust settled and I headed to the apt around 3 p.m., I was down $30. Not bad considering I never had a big run.
For dinner tonight, I pulled together a couple of hefty salads with romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, avocado, corn, black beans, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese.
Now we're just relaxing in front of the TV. I'll probably pop some corn later. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
There's a Jubilee in Our Future
With Helen's friend Gail arriving in LV on Feb. 16, we decided to take her to a traditional Las Vegas-style show, "Jubilee" which has been at Bally's for years and years.
So this morning I drove to the Strip to cash a couple of winning SuperBowl tickets and pick up our "Jubilee" tickets. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, since that's where I had to cash the fb tickets, pocketing $117. After getting paid for the SB bets, I played a little blackjack there, winning $60 in about 30 minutes.
I went back to the sports book and invested $40 in two hoops bets - $20 on the OSU-Purdue game over 129 points and $20 on Akron -8 vs EMU. Both bets have won and I'll be collecting about $78 for those later this week.
Then I walked across Flamingo Avenue to order the tickets at Bally's. There was a short line at the ticket counter, but most of the people were getting tickets for today's version of "The Price Is Right" that is held at Bally's
When I got to the front of the line, I asked the ticket agent, Victoria, if they had any special deals for locals.
"Only for Jubilee," she said.
Great...for locals the "Jubilee" tickets are half off. Since I don't have a Nevada driver's license or ID card, I showed her our recent gas bill that has my name and our LV address on it. That worked. We scored 3 tickets for Feb. 18 right near the front. They usually sell for $75, but with the "locals discount" they were only $37.50 each. With tax, they totalled $113. SWEEEEEET!!!
I decided to head to the southern end of the Strip and drove down to the aging Tropicana. It's not a very fancy place any longer, a gambling dowager near the end of her run. But I've had some good luck there in the past and did again today.
But before I did any gambling, I eased into one of the Trop's bar-restaurants and ordered up some Wings and a beer. The server asked if I wanted blue cheese and celery with my wings and I said "sure." Service was quick and the wings were OK, nothing special.
But I was disappointed when the bill came and I had been charged extra for the blue cheese and celery. What's up with that? The blue cheese was 99 cents and 6 sticks of celery were 79 cents. It's no Bellagio buffet, that's for sure, LOL!
Anyway, I found a blackjack table and ground out a profit of $60. It was time to head home.
For the day, I made $120 playing blackjack and $80 on the two hoops bets. A nice day!
When I got home, Helen had been on the phone concerning Susan's hospital stay. Susan went home today, but doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of the numbness that spread along her left side yesterday. Helen talked with Sharon, Anna and Natalie today and plans to call Norman tonight.
I whipped up a dinner of scambled eggs with corned beef hash, sort of a breakfast-dinner thing that we enjoy once in a while.
Tomorrow our adventure continues...
So this morning I drove to the Strip to cash a couple of winning SuperBowl tickets and pick up our "Jubilee" tickets. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, since that's where I had to cash the fb tickets, pocketing $117. After getting paid for the SB bets, I played a little blackjack there, winning $60 in about 30 minutes.
I went back to the sports book and invested $40 in two hoops bets - $20 on the OSU-Purdue game over 129 points and $20 on Akron -8 vs EMU. Both bets have won and I'll be collecting about $78 for those later this week.
Then I walked across Flamingo Avenue to order the tickets at Bally's. There was a short line at the ticket counter, but most of the people were getting tickets for today's version of "The Price Is Right" that is held at Bally's
When I got to the front of the line, I asked the ticket agent, Victoria, if they had any special deals for locals.
"Only for Jubilee," she said.
Great...for locals the "Jubilee" tickets are half off. Since I don't have a Nevada driver's license or ID card, I showed her our recent gas bill that has my name and our LV address on it. That worked. We scored 3 tickets for Feb. 18 right near the front. They usually sell for $75, but with the "locals discount" they were only $37.50 each. With tax, they totalled $113. SWEEEEEET!!!
I decided to head to the southern end of the Strip and drove down to the aging Tropicana. It's not a very fancy place any longer, a gambling dowager near the end of her run. But I've had some good luck there in the past and did again today.
But before I did any gambling, I eased into one of the Trop's bar-restaurants and ordered up some Wings and a beer. The server asked if I wanted blue cheese and celery with my wings and I said "sure." Service was quick and the wings were OK, nothing special.
But I was disappointed when the bill came and I had been charged extra for the blue cheese and celery. What's up with that? The blue cheese was 99 cents and 6 sticks of celery were 79 cents. It's no Bellagio buffet, that's for sure, LOL!
Anyway, I found a blackjack table and ground out a profit of $60. It was time to head home.
For the day, I made $120 playing blackjack and $80 on the two hoops bets. A nice day!
When I got home, Helen had been on the phone concerning Susan's hospital stay. Susan went home today, but doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of the numbness that spread along her left side yesterday. Helen talked with Sharon, Anna and Natalie today and plans to call Norman tonight.
I whipped up a dinner of scambled eggs with corned beef hash, sort of a breakfast-dinner thing that we enjoy once in a while.
Tomorrow our adventure continues...
Monday, February 2, 2009
Bookstore, Blackjack and More
This morning Helen and I paid a visit to a nearby Barnes & Noble to check out their books.
I found a baseball book, "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy, about the 1908 season, the last time the Cubs won the World Series. Probably won't start reading it for a week or so, since now I am enjoying "The Calamity Papers" by Dale Walker, a noted writer of non-fiction western tales.
Helen didn't find any new books for herself, but she's reading "Permed to Death" by Nancy Cohen, the first book in a series of mysteries in which the heroine is a hair stylist who owns her own salon.
By the time we finished browsing through the B&N it about 11 a.m. I decided to go to the Suncoast to cash a pair of winning SuperBowl tickets, while Helen just relaxed for a while before watching her daily dose of "Desperate Housewives." The Lifetime Channel runs a 2-hour block of DH every day from noon-2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to be gone.
I got to the Suncoast just before noon and pocketed $97 from the 2 tickets. I checked out the NBA and college hoops games, but nothing caught my eye for investing. Then I strolled over to the blackjack area and found a $10 game where a woman was playing alone against the dealer. I bought in for $100 and pushed the first two hands, before snagging a blackjack on the third hand. After the first shoe, I was up about $40. The other player, a raspy-voiced woman, was winning too. She was chainsmoking and friendly enough, calling everybody "Honey" ("Honey, I'll have a Manhattan when you get a chance." "Honey, I need a face card." "Honey, can you pass me a book of matches."
The second shoe went even better than the first. I hit a couple of nice double downs and as the dealer shuffled, I saw that I was up $110 after only 15 minutes of playing. That's enough profit for me, I decided, and colored up my chips and strolled to the cashier. On the way out, I had a 75-cent all-beef hotdog that they serve near the sports book. Ah, life is good!
Then I drove over to Albertson's where we needed a few groceries. Picked up coffee, chicken salad from the deli, salad fixings, guacamole mix, sour cream, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, strapping tape, and a few other things. Total for 5 bags - $68. Food is pricey here.
Later today, Helen got a phone call from her sister Natalie back in Traverse City. Seems that their sister Susan suffered from some numbness that started at her face then spread down along her left side this morning and went to Munson Medical Center's Emergency Room. They couldn't diagnose it as a stroke, but kept her overnight for observation. Helen called Sharon and Norman to let them know about Susan's situation. Natalie is pretty upset and we're all hoping for the best. Susan's health is an ongoing concern.
Tonight we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
I found a baseball book, "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy, about the 1908 season, the last time the Cubs won the World Series. Probably won't start reading it for a week or so, since now I am enjoying "The Calamity Papers" by Dale Walker, a noted writer of non-fiction western tales.
Helen didn't find any new books for herself, but she's reading "Permed to Death" by Nancy Cohen, the first book in a series of mysteries in which the heroine is a hair stylist who owns her own salon.
By the time we finished browsing through the B&N it about 11 a.m. I decided to go to the Suncoast to cash a pair of winning SuperBowl tickets, while Helen just relaxed for a while before watching her daily dose of "Desperate Housewives." The Lifetime Channel runs a 2-hour block of DH every day from noon-2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to be gone.
I got to the Suncoast just before noon and pocketed $97 from the 2 tickets. I checked out the NBA and college hoops games, but nothing caught my eye for investing. Then I strolled over to the blackjack area and found a $10 game where a woman was playing alone against the dealer. I bought in for $100 and pushed the first two hands, before snagging a blackjack on the third hand. After the first shoe, I was up about $40. The other player, a raspy-voiced woman, was winning too. She was chainsmoking and friendly enough, calling everybody "Honey" ("Honey, I'll have a Manhattan when you get a chance." "Honey, I need a face card." "Honey, can you pass me a book of matches."
The second shoe went even better than the first. I hit a couple of nice double downs and as the dealer shuffled, I saw that I was up $110 after only 15 minutes of playing. That's enough profit for me, I decided, and colored up my chips and strolled to the cashier. On the way out, I had a 75-cent all-beef hotdog that they serve near the sports book. Ah, life is good!
Then I drove over to Albertson's where we needed a few groceries. Picked up coffee, chicken salad from the deli, salad fixings, guacamole mix, sour cream, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, strapping tape, and a few other things. Total for 5 bags - $68. Food is pricey here.
Later today, Helen got a phone call from her sister Natalie back in Traverse City. Seems that their sister Susan suffered from some numbness that started at her face then spread down along her left side this morning and went to Munson Medical Center's Emergency Room. They couldn't diagnose it as a stroke, but kept her overnight for observation. Helen called Sharon and Norman to let them know about Susan's situation. Natalie is pretty upset and we're all hoping for the best. Susan's health is an ongoing concern.
Tonight we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Super Bowl Weekend Update
Helen and I are sitting here in the aftermath of SuperBowl 43, a competitive, exciting - and profitable - game.
We have four winning tickets to cash from the game - Fitzgerald over 6.5 recepts ($45) Boldin over 4.5 recepts ($28.65) 1st score other than a td ($52) and Cardinals +7 ($90).
Our great day began with an 8 a.m. trip to the Lakes Lutheran Church with Helen. It's a friendly congregation that has been very accepting of us "snowbirds."
Today for the offering, the church had a big "Soup Pot" near the altar where we were encouraged to place donations for "Souper Sunday." The idea is that the donations would go to feed the needy. Anyway, while I was in line waiting to make our donation, two guys ahead of me were discussing their Super Bowl bets - one guy bet $20 that At Least 3 Players Would Attempt a Pass (that bet lost). Super Bowl is on everyone's mind in Vegas, Baby - even in church, LOL!
After church, Helen sent me to the Strip to spend part of Super Bowl Sunday there. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked over to Bally's to check out the poker action. There was a buzz of excitement at Bally's and it looked more like a busy Saturday night than a Sunday morning.
I was looking to play some 3-6 Limit Hold 'Em. They had no game going, but were taking names. I was the 6th name on the list, which eventually grew to 11 players. While I waited for the poker action to begin, I sat at a $10 blackjack table and broke even over 45 minutes.
Then they called my name for poker and I got a middle seat at a $3-6 game. I bought in for $100 and for the first dozen hands, I didn't really catch any cards. Then I hit a hot streak and I won 3 of 5 hands, including flopping an A-10 Straight, and putting me up about $70.
I played patiently, waiting for good hands before entering a pot. But that strategy backfired and I lost a couple of nice pots - one when I had 3 As and lost to a full house, the other when I hit a straight and lost to a flush.
Eventually I drove home with a profit of $16. Not great after my rousing start, LOL!
My plan was to play poker and watch the first half of the game at Bally's, then during halftime drive home and watch the 2nd half with Helen. It worked perfectly. I left at halftime and got home just as the 2nd half was beginning. Missed the Springsteen show, but that's OK. His recent political blatherings have turned me off a bit to The Boss.
Now Helen and I are getting ready to enjoy a couple of new episodes of "The Office," always worth a chuckle or two (That's what she said.:)
Yesterday, I was at the Strip too. I bounced around to Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace and the Imperial Palace, playing blackjack at each location. I won some, lost some. A lot of walking, but just a little winning. I came home $27 more than when I left. Not great, but hey, it'll buy a tank of gas out here (where gas is now $2.05 a gallon).
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
We have four winning tickets to cash from the game - Fitzgerald over 6.5 recepts ($45) Boldin over 4.5 recepts ($28.65) 1st score other than a td ($52) and Cardinals +7 ($90).
Our great day began with an 8 a.m. trip to the Lakes Lutheran Church with Helen. It's a friendly congregation that has been very accepting of us "snowbirds."
Today for the offering, the church had a big "Soup Pot" near the altar where we were encouraged to place donations for "Souper Sunday." The idea is that the donations would go to feed the needy. Anyway, while I was in line waiting to make our donation, two guys ahead of me were discussing their Super Bowl bets - one guy bet $20 that At Least 3 Players Would Attempt a Pass (that bet lost). Super Bowl is on everyone's mind in Vegas, Baby - even in church, LOL!
After church, Helen sent me to the Strip to spend part of Super Bowl Sunday there. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked over to Bally's to check out the poker action. There was a buzz of excitement at Bally's and it looked more like a busy Saturday night than a Sunday morning.
I was looking to play some 3-6 Limit Hold 'Em. They had no game going, but were taking names. I was the 6th name on the list, which eventually grew to 11 players. While I waited for the poker action to begin, I sat at a $10 blackjack table and broke even over 45 minutes.
Then they called my name for poker and I got a middle seat at a $3-6 game. I bought in for $100 and for the first dozen hands, I didn't really catch any cards. Then I hit a hot streak and I won 3 of 5 hands, including flopping an A-10 Straight, and putting me up about $70.
I played patiently, waiting for good hands before entering a pot. But that strategy backfired and I lost a couple of nice pots - one when I had 3 As and lost to a full house, the other when I hit a straight and lost to a flush.
Eventually I drove home with a profit of $16. Not great after my rousing start, LOL!
My plan was to play poker and watch the first half of the game at Bally's, then during halftime drive home and watch the 2nd half with Helen. It worked perfectly. I left at halftime and got home just as the 2nd half was beginning. Missed the Springsteen show, but that's OK. His recent political blatherings have turned me off a bit to The Boss.
Now Helen and I are getting ready to enjoy a couple of new episodes of "The Office," always worth a chuckle or two (That's what she said.:)
Yesterday, I was at the Strip too. I bounced around to Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace and the Imperial Palace, playing blackjack at each location. I won some, lost some. A lot of walking, but just a little winning. I came home $27 more than when I left. Not great, but hey, it'll buy a tank of gas out here (where gas is now $2.05 a gallon).
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
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