It takes about 35 minutes to make the drive from our apartment in Summerlin to the Strip where I parked at Bally's about 9:30 and walked over to Caesar's Palace. Just inside CP, I spotted a cool looking hat in a gift shop. It's tan with a bold "1966 Caesar's" on the front. I checked it out and decided that if I could win some cash there, I would come back and buy the hat.
So I found a blackjack table, ordered a coffee and began to play. There was one other guy playing at third base. He was a mouthy guy in a crumpled suit and a loosened tie. He was sipping some sort of clear liquor and doing a play-by-play of every hand. And he was losing...
Meanwhile, I had a nice run and began pushing my bets up from 10 to 20 per hand. In about 20 minutes, I was up $375 and decided to take leave from the loudmouth and head back to the gift shop where I bought the new cap.
The 1966 is significant to Caesars, because that's when they opened. It's significant to me because that's the year I graduated from high school!
So I power walked through the Forum Shops and exited CP right near The Mirage. Went inside and checked out their new layout. Since last year they remodeled the poker room, making it about a third of its previous size. In return they built a larger cashier area which is nicely lit and easier to navigate. I sat down at a BJ table, buying in for $100 and played with a nice Chinese gentleman. The dealer broke several times for us and we both made money. I left up $75 after about 30 minutes.
Next stop was to cross the street and visit Harrah's. Blackjack there is not too favorable. They have plenty of $5 tables, but they only pay 6-5 for a blackjack, while is typical for low limit tables on the Strip. Anyway, I saw the poker room and decided to play there.
I spent two hours there, winning early, giving it back when my full house lost to four deuces, then winning again with a flush over a guy's straight. I walked with $100 exactly. It was a fun table with plenty of Michigan connections. One guy used to live in Southfield, but now manages a gentleman's club here in LV. Another guy in a Tiger cap is on vacation from Shelby Township. A third guy lives in Oklahoma, but vacations in Petoskey and is a semi-regular at Odawa...and then there was me. So out of 9 seats, four of us had Michigan ties.
Leaving Harrah's, I walked through The Flamingo, where I had a hot dog and bottled water for lunch. Continuing south, I entered The Cromwell, which used to be Bill's Gambling Hall, which used to be The Barbary Coast. Sometimes it's hard to believe that this now-upscale place was once a joint that catered to us low-roller types. My friend Terry and I stayed here a few times years ago. And we always enjoyed their coffee house breakfasts. To show the contrast, now the most popular eatery is a pricey joint run by Giada DeLaurentis of TV fame.
So I played a little blackjack there and luck smiled on me again. I played with a guy from Chicago and we both were helped by our dealer, Billy, who broke quite often. After about an hour and a half, I walked with a profit of $363.
Then it was time to head home. Tallying up the day, I made $913. Plenty of profit for me to pick up a pair of BBQ Chicken salads from Capriotti's a deli sandwich place on the way home. While I was piling up cash, Helen stayed busy talking and texting with friends, relaxing, and doing some laundry.
On Tuesday, I decided to stay closer to home and made a trip to the Suncoast about 9 a.m. I had to run some errands, visit Walmart, mail some bills before visiting SC. I played blackjack for about 2 hours and was up about $50 before taking a break for a 6-inch turkey sandwich at Subway. Played a bit after lunch before walking with a profit of $220. No huge hands, just steady profits aided by the dealer's breaking to help out.
I was due home at 5 p.m., and had about 2 hours left so I decided to make a quick stop at the Red Rock Casino where I found an empty blackjack table. Played for almost an hour and when I found myself up $115, so I decided to leave. Grabbed a foot-long turkey and coleslaw sandwich for dinner. At home, I made a side salad and Helen and I split the sandwich.
We caught up on emails and watched a little of the U-M basketball game - they lost big. More TV, then off to bed. We're planning to make a trip to Bellagio soon to check out the Conservatory's Christmas Display, which opened on Monday. It's always a lavish production and a very popular LV sight. Best of all, it's free and open 24/7. And so our LV adventure continues...
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