Suncoast Pays The Most

Sunday morning began with Helen and I attending the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran church, just three miles or so from our apartment. It was great to see several of our friends there and they warmly welcomed us back.

By 9:15 we were back home where I whipped up a breakfast of scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and mushrooms, topped with melted cheddar. It was pretty tasty and a nice way to start our Sunday.

About 10:15, Helen got a call from her longtime friend Pat who lives in Italy. I could tell they had a lot of catching up to do and I was interested in watching football, so I slipped over to the Suncoast to catch the games. I had a live $10 teaser ticket that would pay $100 if it hit. I had no real interest in the early games and really hoped to get a seat at a $1-2 no limit game in the Suncoast poker room. But there was a tourney underway, so I headed to the blackjack pit and grabbed a seat there.

The game was double-deck pitch and it began slowly, with a win-lose-lose sort of stuttering start. Then things picked up and I was suddenly up $50 or so. One big hand happened when I bet $20 and caught a pair of 8s vs. the dealer's 5. Had to split the pair and snagged another 8. So I shoved another $20 out there for a total of $60. After the dust settled on my side, I had two 19s and a 14. Dealer had 10 in the hole and slapped a 7 on top for a 22- BUST.

That $60 win really got things going and after about two hours I was up almost $200. Then things turned bad again and I dropped about $40. But in true BJ fashion, the next shoe (or fist, since the dealer was dealing two decks from her hand) was profitable and when it was over I was up $220. It's my 5th straight winning day and the LARGEST of the trip, so far!

I decided to quit there, look for some lunch and check the fb scores.

Over in the sports book they had a mini buffet of $1 hot dogs and $1 pulled pork sandwiches. I opted for the pulled pork and it was huge and tasty! The best $1 lunch I've had in a LONG time!! The sports book was buzzing. Anyone who's been in a Vegas book during NFL Sunday will know how electric the atmosphere can be with cheering erupting on every play. I was lucky to snag a seat and watch the late games, including the Dallas-Giants game. I had Dallas +2 in my teaser and felt good when they jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Then they fell apart and lost to the New Yawkers, who had lost their last 5 games...aaaargh!

Headed home after that debacle where Helen was online when I arrived. For dinner I made her a hefty salad and I opted for some of the leftover BBQ we enjoyed the night before. Ribs and chicken filled me up and there are still a couple of ribs left for munching on tonight. We'll definitely be hitting Famous Dave's BBQ when Katie arrives in February. She loves BBQ and I'm pretty sure she'll love this place.

We watched some TV, Lord of the Rings, then went to bed tired but happy. That chip cashing can really wear ya out!

Early morning weather reports warn that SNOW IS POSSIBLE today! Maybe an inch or so in the LV Valley. One noted that the last snow in LV fell a year ago yesterday. We remember it well - the locals went sort of whacky with lots of fender benders and kids making snow angels in a half-inch of white stuff. Out here they think 40 degrees is C-O-O-O-O-L-D!!!

Today I'm thinking of hitting the strip for some more poker. Maybe Planet Hollywood again or the Monte Carlo or Venetian. Each has its good/bad points. PH has newbie players, but is usually busy with tourneys. The Monte Carlo is quiet and comfortable, but often filled with tight-playing old geezer locals. The Venetian has plenty of games and comfortable tables/chairs, but also has some of the toughest players in town. Where to go, where to go?

Tune in later to see what happens in our LV adventure...