Helen and I have spent the last two days having fun showing off Las Vegas to our visitors, Tricia and Kevin.
On Thursday morning we drove to the Mirage and met up with them about 10 a.m. They had enjoyed a breakfast at Denny's, right across Las Vegas Blvd from their room. We decided to check out some of the casinos, so a walk down the Strip soon began. Our first stop was The Venetian and a tour of the Canal Shoppes. They were really impressed by the beauty and luxury of The V. Helen and Tricia spent about an hour browsing in a special Las Vegas gift shop where they looked a lot and bought little.
Then we headed south on the Strip, stopping at Harrah's and The Linq, before checking out the High Roller. We didn't ride the giant ferris wheel, but walked right up to it and it's pretty impressive. Along the way, we stopped at the Ghiradelli chocolate shop where I stocked up on treats for Helen and me.
Continuing south, we walked past Cromwell and Ballys, stopping at Paris to check it out. Kevin and Tricia were seeing all the sights and taking pics along the way. After Paris, we visited Planet Hollywood, where Tricia and Helen spent two hours shopping in the Miracle Mile shops. Meanwhile Kevin and I were getting thirsty, so I sat at a blackjack table and we enjoyed a couple of $1 beers while I played and Kevin watched. He's not quite confident enough to play live bj yet, but that's OK. We all have to learn at some point.
The session started well and I was playing one-on-one with the dealer, Chun. Then a woman who didn't know the game very well came and changed all the cards. I immediately lost all my profit and some. I had to rebuy for $100 and eventually the woman left and two couples joined us. Things went well and after about an hour, I left with a profit of $185.
Kevin and I still had time to kill before we had to meet with the girls, so we visited the Planet Hollywood sports book. Kevin wanted to bet on the Super Bowl and bought a $20 ticket on Under 45 points. I put $25 on Carolina -5 and then we left to meet up with Helen and Tricia. By this time it was almost 4 p.m. and we were getting hungry. Kevin and Tricia wanted to try a Vegas buffet and the PH has one of the best for the money, so we went down there. As we checked it, the lady at the register asked if I was a Total Rewards member and I showed her my platinum card. She checked my points and we were able to comp the $120 meal. WINNER!!
We all enjoyed the buffet, eating too much and still saving room for dessert. Then it was time to waddle back to Mirage where Kevin and Tricia had tickets for a 7 p.m. performance of "LOVE," the great Beatles tribute. Helen and I said goodnight and made the drive back to our apartment. It was a full day!
On Friday, we drove back to Mirage, meeting up with Kevin and Tricia at 9:30 to start our adventures. They both loved "LOVE" and talked about it a lot as we drove. Our first stop was south to see the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. We took several photos at the site, which was pretty busy with visitors. Then we drove north on the Strip and I took them to see the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, made famous from Pawn Stars. It's in a shabby area of the Strip, surrounded by cheap hotels and several infamous Wedding Chapels where you can get married by an Elvis imitator or even while sitting in your car at a drive-through window.
Then we rolled west on Charleston Avenue, our destination: Red Rock Canyon National Area.
We've taken several visitors to Red Rock and they are always impressed by the mountainous terrain and colorful rock formations. Our first stop was the visitors center where Helen and Tricia explored the gift shop, while Kevin and I looked at the informative displayed. Then we spent over an hour driving and parking along the 13-mile road that takes you through the park. We saw some adventurous knuckleheads climbing up the shear rock faces and swore we'd never do that!
Kevin and I had built up a powerful thirst and we decided to visit Yard House, an eatery at the Red Rock Casino. It was a late lunch for us and we enjoyed it. Helen, Tricia and I opted for tasty burgers, while Kevin devoured a platter of four sliders. Some tasty craft beers washed down the good food.
I gave them a quick tour of the Casino, which has become my go-to place when I don't visit the Strip for gaming.
After a while, we drove back to Mirage and hung out for a while. We walked to Harrah's where I played blackjack, winning $89 while Helen, Tricia and Kevin watched me play. I thought they might be bored, but they said they enjoyed watching me stack the chips! Even though they have a Volcano-View room, Kevin and Tricia had not yet seen the volcano show. So we planned to see the 8 p.m. show and about 7:45 headed out to get a good viewing spot. It was an impressive 10-minute display and the volcano throws off a good amount of heat!
Then it was time for us to say our goodbyes, ending a fun-filled trip for Tricia and Kevin. Helen and I drove home, tired but happy. Kevin and Tricia fly back to Detroit today. They'll take a shuttle bus to McCarron Airport at 11:45 in preparation for their 2 p.m. flight. They should arrive in Detroit about 10:30, if all goes well. There's already talk of them coming back to celebrate Christmas with us in December. I hope that works out, it would be GREAT fun.
For now, our LV adventure continues...
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Visitors!!
Scott rolled into LV on Monday about 5p.m. and by 8 we were at Harrah's enjoying the "Million Dollar Quartet" show.
It's 90 minutes of rock-a-billy music and fun as the play details a day in 1955 at Sun Records when owner Sam Phillips got his four stars - Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis - together for some great music. Helen and I had seen it a couple weeks ago and thought Scott would enjoy it. We were right.
It was great to see Scott, who had been in Phoenix to accept an award Sunday. He drove up to see us on Monday, then Tuesday morning had to fly back to Grand Rapids. He got back to Michigan about 1030 on Tuesday, then had to drive to Detroit for a Wednesday morning surgery that he attends to aid the physicians using his company's cardiac devices. He travels A LOT!
Then yesterday our niece Tricia and her husband Kevin arrived for their first LV visit about 2:30 p.m. or so. Helen and I picked them up from the airport and gave them a brief tour of the Strip before taking them to the Mirage where they are staying. During the check-in, Tricia asked about the possibility of a free upgrade. The four of us went up to their room on the 19th floor and they have a GREAT view overlooking the famous Mirage Volcano and the Strip.
After checking out their room, we visited the Beatles Gift Shop at the Mirage. Kevin is a big Beatles fan and they are going to see "Love" tonight. At the gift shop, Helen bought a Sgt. Pepper t-shirt and a notepad that features a photo of a ticket for the Beatles 1964 show at Olympia Stadium that Helen attended as a 15-year old!
After a while, we were all getting hungry, so decided to try the Samba Steakhouse for dinner.
For years I've wanted to try Samba. It has a unique system where you pay $39 per person and they bring you all the skewered meats you want. Each meal starts with a basic salad and some round baked dough balls that you dip in oil. Then come the skewered beef, chicken, turkey wrapped in bacon, sausage, pork and lamb. They give you a small card that is green on one side, red on the other. If you leave the green side showing, they bring you more meat. Show the red side and it means "no meat for now." The meal also includes side dishes of black beans, rice, sugared plantains, veggies and garlic bread. Kevin and I pounded down as much meat as we could possibly hold. All of it was tasty, except the pork was a bit dry. Tricia and Helen showed much more restraint. But we all enjoyed the meal!
We decided a little walk would be nice, so we headed south on the Strip to Caesar's Palace. We entered at the Forum Shops and Tricia and Kevin were impressed by all the amazing architecture of the shops. We stopped at a shop that sells framed, autographed items of pop culture and history. Always cool to browse the exhibits that include Teddy Roosevelt, The Beatles, John Dillinger, Al Capone, Buffalo Bill, Geronimo and so many more. Helen and Kevin each bought a great matted photo display of the Beatles for only $25.
Then we continued walking south into Bellagio where we showed our guests the great lobby area that features the blown glass flowers of Dale Chihuly. We visited the conservatory that has a display honoring the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Monkey. We headed outside and to watch a Bellagio Fountain Show. The first one was a classical tune that we enjoyed so much that we decided to stay for another show. They run every 15 minutes after dark, so it wasn't long before we were listening to "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis and the water cannons shot high into the air. What a great way to end our evening as he made the walk back to Mirage where we said goodnight to Kevin and Tricia. Then Helen and I made the 40-minute drive back to our apartment.
And today our adventure continues...
It's 90 minutes of rock-a-billy music and fun as the play details a day in 1955 at Sun Records when owner Sam Phillips got his four stars - Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis - together for some great music. Helen and I had seen it a couple weeks ago and thought Scott would enjoy it. We were right.
It was great to see Scott, who had been in Phoenix to accept an award Sunday. He drove up to see us on Monday, then Tuesday morning had to fly back to Grand Rapids. He got back to Michigan about 1030 on Tuesday, then had to drive to Detroit for a Wednesday morning surgery that he attends to aid the physicians using his company's cardiac devices. He travels A LOT!
Then yesterday our niece Tricia and her husband Kevin arrived for their first LV visit about 2:30 p.m. or so. Helen and I picked them up from the airport and gave them a brief tour of the Strip before taking them to the Mirage where they are staying. During the check-in, Tricia asked about the possibility of a free upgrade. The four of us went up to their room on the 19th floor and they have a GREAT view overlooking the famous Mirage Volcano and the Strip.
After checking out their room, we visited the Beatles Gift Shop at the Mirage. Kevin is a big Beatles fan and they are going to see "Love" tonight. At the gift shop, Helen bought a Sgt. Pepper t-shirt and a notepad that features a photo of a ticket for the Beatles 1964 show at Olympia Stadium that Helen attended as a 15-year old!
After a while, we were all getting hungry, so decided to try the Samba Steakhouse for dinner.
For years I've wanted to try Samba. It has a unique system where you pay $39 per person and they bring you all the skewered meats you want. Each meal starts with a basic salad and some round baked dough balls that you dip in oil. Then come the skewered beef, chicken, turkey wrapped in bacon, sausage, pork and lamb. They give you a small card that is green on one side, red on the other. If you leave the green side showing, they bring you more meat. Show the red side and it means "no meat for now." The meal also includes side dishes of black beans, rice, sugared plantains, veggies and garlic bread. Kevin and I pounded down as much meat as we could possibly hold. All of it was tasty, except the pork was a bit dry. Tricia and Helen showed much more restraint. But we all enjoyed the meal!
We decided a little walk would be nice, so we headed south on the Strip to Caesar's Palace. We entered at the Forum Shops and Tricia and Kevin were impressed by all the amazing architecture of the shops. We stopped at a shop that sells framed, autographed items of pop culture and history. Always cool to browse the exhibits that include Teddy Roosevelt, The Beatles, John Dillinger, Al Capone, Buffalo Bill, Geronimo and so many more. Helen and Kevin each bought a great matted photo display of the Beatles for only $25.
Then we continued walking south into Bellagio where we showed our guests the great lobby area that features the blown glass flowers of Dale Chihuly. We visited the conservatory that has a display honoring the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Monkey. We headed outside and to watch a Bellagio Fountain Show. The first one was a classical tune that we enjoyed so much that we decided to stay for another show. They run every 15 minutes after dark, so it wasn't long before we were listening to "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis and the water cannons shot high into the air. What a great way to end our evening as he made the walk back to Mirage where we said goodnight to Kevin and Tricia. Then Helen and I made the 40-minute drive back to our apartment.
And today our adventure continues...
Monday, January 25, 2016
Tigers Are Better With Upton? Vegas Says No.
While at Planet Hollywood yesterday, I picked up a Baseball Futures sheet and checked out the odds for the AL pennant and World Series.
The Tigers are currently 14-1 to win the AL Pennant and 30-1 to win the World Series. Surprisingly, the opening lines had the Detroiters at 12-1 and 25-1. So after making all the moves of adding Upton and others, the Vegas oddsmakers think the team has a worse chance to win both the AL and the WS. They've actually taken a step back after the roster moves!
The Red Sox and Royals are current AL favorites at 5-1. In the Central, the Indians at 8-1, the White Sox at 12-1 and the Twins are 20-1. So the Tigers are the 4th worst odds in their division, let alone the whole AL.
Could be another long season for us Tiger fans.
In college hoops futures, the current favorites are Kansas and North Carolina, both 6-1. The Spartans and Duke are right behind at 7-1. Oklahoma is 8-1. A couple of interesting longshots might be Iowa at 20-1 or West Virginia at 22-1. Michigan is a whopping 65-1 for you Wolverine backers.
The Tigers are currently 14-1 to win the AL Pennant and 30-1 to win the World Series. Surprisingly, the opening lines had the Detroiters at 12-1 and 25-1. So after making all the moves of adding Upton and others, the Vegas oddsmakers think the team has a worse chance to win both the AL and the WS. They've actually taken a step back after the roster moves!
The Red Sox and Royals are current AL favorites at 5-1. In the Central, the Indians at 8-1, the White Sox at 12-1 and the Twins are 20-1. So the Tigers are the 4th worst odds in their division, let alone the whole AL.
Could be another long season for us Tiger fans.
In college hoops futures, the current favorites are Kansas and North Carolina, both 6-1. The Spartans and Duke are right behind at 7-1. Oklahoma is 8-1. A couple of interesting longshots might be Iowa at 20-1 or West Virginia at 22-1. Michigan is a whopping 65-1 for you Wolverine backers.
Big Day in Blackjack, Football Not So Much
I decided to spend Sunday on The Strip watching the NFL playoff games at Planet Hollywood.
It took about 35 minutes to get to Ballys where I parked about 10 a.m. The Pats-Broncos game kicked off at noon here in LV, so I had some time to kill before I settled into the PH sports book. I like their book because the chairs are comfortable and the TV screens are large and clear. Ballys and Paris have two of the WORST sports books on the strip. Their screens are blurry and seating is not very comfortable at all.
Before walking to PH, I cashed two $25 tickets on hoops games from Saturday, for a profit of $45. Then I headed to PH, walking through Paris. I sat down at a bj table in Paris and played for about 20 minutes, notching a profit of $125. So, I figured, I was up $170 if I didn't make another bet.
I got to the PH sportsbook about 11 and grabbed a seat. As I watched the Iowa-Purdue basketball game, the place soon filled up. The betting line was 40-50 people long and I was glad I already had 5 parlays going. All of them had the Pats, though and they were all losers. By halftime of the game, I was getting bored and decided to walk back to Ballys where I sat down at a bj table and began one of the hottest runs of the whole trip.
There was one other guy at the table when I sat down. "I only have one chip left," he joked as I joined the game. He showed me a $100 chip and played it. On the first hand we both won.
My streak began slowly, with me betting $10-15 a hand. After getting up $200 or so, I began to press bets to $20-30 a hand and I kept winning. At one point, I won or pushed 11 straight hands before the dealer hit a blackjack that snapped the streak. One key hand happened when I had $25 bet and I got 8-8 against the dealer's 5. Following Basic Strategy, I split the 8s and got a 3 on the first one. I doubled down and got a king for 21. On the other 8, I got a 2 and again doubled down, landing an ACE for another 21. So I had $100 out there and won when the dealer flipped a 2 and caught a 10 for 17.
When I didn't make a good hand, the dealer busted for us.
Another highlight happened when I had a 16 and caught a 5 for 21. The very next hand I got dealt another 16 and HIT ANOTHER 5 for another winner! I was making hands like crazy. Hit 13, get an 8, hit 14, get a 6. It was unreal and my chip stack kept climbing.
Finally, I decided to leave. I counted up my chips and showed a profit of $1250. And the other guy at the table had run his $100 up to $1000. It was a fun magical run for both of us!
I headed home, calling Helen en route to tell her about our fun and profits. When I got home, we watched some of the other NFL game and had a tasty salad for dinner. Then it was time to enjoy some chocolates for dessert and settle down to watch Downton Abbey.
Today, I have a few errands to run and may play a bit at Red Rock. Scott is coming to LV tonight, arriving about 5 or so. He's driving up from Phoenix where he was honored yesterday with a National Salesman of the Year Award for his company. It's the 2nd year in a row that he's taken that honor. He's the Miguel Cabrera of Medical Device Salesmen!! We have tickets tonight for "Million Dollar Quartet," at Harrah's. That will be fun!
And so our adventure continues...
It took about 35 minutes to get to Ballys where I parked about 10 a.m. The Pats-Broncos game kicked off at noon here in LV, so I had some time to kill before I settled into the PH sports book. I like their book because the chairs are comfortable and the TV screens are large and clear. Ballys and Paris have two of the WORST sports books on the strip. Their screens are blurry and seating is not very comfortable at all.
Before walking to PH, I cashed two $25 tickets on hoops games from Saturday, for a profit of $45. Then I headed to PH, walking through Paris. I sat down at a bj table in Paris and played for about 20 minutes, notching a profit of $125. So, I figured, I was up $170 if I didn't make another bet.
I got to the PH sportsbook about 11 and grabbed a seat. As I watched the Iowa-Purdue basketball game, the place soon filled up. The betting line was 40-50 people long and I was glad I already had 5 parlays going. All of them had the Pats, though and they were all losers. By halftime of the game, I was getting bored and decided to walk back to Ballys where I sat down at a bj table and began one of the hottest runs of the whole trip.
There was one other guy at the table when I sat down. "I only have one chip left," he joked as I joined the game. He showed me a $100 chip and played it. On the first hand we both won.
My streak began slowly, with me betting $10-15 a hand. After getting up $200 or so, I began to press bets to $20-30 a hand and I kept winning. At one point, I won or pushed 11 straight hands before the dealer hit a blackjack that snapped the streak. One key hand happened when I had $25 bet and I got 8-8 against the dealer's 5. Following Basic Strategy, I split the 8s and got a 3 on the first one. I doubled down and got a king for 21. On the other 8, I got a 2 and again doubled down, landing an ACE for another 21. So I had $100 out there and won when the dealer flipped a 2 and caught a 10 for 17.
When I didn't make a good hand, the dealer busted for us.
Another highlight happened when I had a 16 and caught a 5 for 21. The very next hand I got dealt another 16 and HIT ANOTHER 5 for another winner! I was making hands like crazy. Hit 13, get an 8, hit 14, get a 6. It was unreal and my chip stack kept climbing.
Finally, I decided to leave. I counted up my chips and showed a profit of $1250. And the other guy at the table had run his $100 up to $1000. It was a fun magical run for both of us!
I headed home, calling Helen en route to tell her about our fun and profits. When I got home, we watched some of the other NFL game and had a tasty salad for dinner. Then it was time to enjoy some chocolates for dessert and settle down to watch Downton Abbey.
Today, I have a few errands to run and may play a bit at Red Rock. Scott is coming to LV tonight, arriving about 5 or so. He's driving up from Phoenix where he was honored yesterday with a National Salesman of the Year Award for his company. It's the 2nd year in a row that he's taken that honor. He's the Miguel Cabrera of Medical Device Salesmen!! We have tickets tonight for "Million Dollar Quartet," at Harrah's. That will be fun!
And so our adventure continues...
Saturday, January 23, 2016
BBQ Lunch and a Movie
Helen and I had an full day on Friday.
We left the apartment at 9 a.m. and our first stop was a Target store to pick up a few items she wanted. Then I dropped her off for a 10 a.m. hair appointment that was going to take about 90 minutes. Since the hair salon was only a mile or so from the Rampart Casino, I drove over there to kill time while she had her hair done.
I played some blackjack against a dealer named Chuck, who grew up in San Diego and was a die-hard Chargers fan. I told him I was a Raiders fan and we had a good time talking AFC West football over the past 30 years. Even though he's loved the Bolts, he says if they move to LA, he's done with them. I won $140 and cashed in before going back to pick up Helen about 11:30.
We decided to go to the Red Rock casino for lunch and see if there was a matinee movie worth watching. We bypassed the casino food court and opted for Lucille's BBQ for lunch. I had BBQ ribs with a side order of pulled pork and BBQ beans. Washed it down with a tasty strawberry lemonade. Helen had a BBQ chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, along with a club soda. Total bill was $33.
Then it was off to check out the movie choices. We opted for "The Revenent," over "Joy" because of the timing. It was showing at 2:20, while Joy didn't begin until 3:15. So we settled in for the movie, which was compelling, but a little too violent for Helen. She had to avert her eyes more than once due to blood and gore. We both thought it was historically accurate and beautiful cinematography, but also grisly.
Got home about 530 and watched some TV and relaxed with a few Ghiradelli chocolates. And so our adventure continues...
We left the apartment at 9 a.m. and our first stop was a Target store to pick up a few items she wanted. Then I dropped her off for a 10 a.m. hair appointment that was going to take about 90 minutes. Since the hair salon was only a mile or so from the Rampart Casino, I drove over there to kill time while she had her hair done.
I played some blackjack against a dealer named Chuck, who grew up in San Diego and was a die-hard Chargers fan. I told him I was a Raiders fan and we had a good time talking AFC West football over the past 30 years. Even though he's loved the Bolts, he says if they move to LA, he's done with them. I won $140 and cashed in before going back to pick up Helen about 11:30.
We decided to go to the Red Rock casino for lunch and see if there was a matinee movie worth watching. We bypassed the casino food court and opted for Lucille's BBQ for lunch. I had BBQ ribs with a side order of pulled pork and BBQ beans. Washed it down with a tasty strawberry lemonade. Helen had a BBQ chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, along with a club soda. Total bill was $33.
Then it was off to check out the movie choices. We opted for "The Revenent," over "Joy" because of the timing. It was showing at 2:20, while Joy didn't begin until 3:15. So we settled in for the movie, which was compelling, but a little too violent for Helen. She had to avert her eyes more than once due to blood and gore. We both thought it was historically accurate and beautiful cinematography, but also grisly.
Got home about 530 and watched some TV and relaxed with a few Ghiradelli chocolates. And so our adventure continues...
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Curse You, Ace-Queen!
Wednesday night I was playing in the weekly freeroll poker tourney at Bally's, hoping to be one of the final 20 players to cash for $300.
The event started promptly at 6 p.m. with 59 players, a larger than usual field for recent tourneys. I got off to a good start, taking down a few pots and building my stack from $5,000 to almost 12,000 when the 10-minute break came 100 minutes into play. By then the field had been whittled to 36 and I was in pretty good shape. I had the 3rd largest stack at the table and decided I would only play solid starting hands and try to steal the blinds when possible.
After the break, some of the short-stacked players began to fall out until there were 32, 30, 29 players left. I lost some valuable chips when I looked down and found A-Q of mixed suits in my hand. The blinds at this time were $1000 and 500. Several players folded, so I bet $3,000 thinking I could take down the blinds. But I barely got my chips in the pot when the guy to my left went all in for $10,000. I just couldn't risk all my chips, so I had to fold. The loss left me with about $9,500 left.
The very next hand I found myself with the very same starting hand, A-Q. Again several guys folded and I went ALL IN, expecting again to take down the $1,500 in blinds. But I got a quick call from a guy who had just a few more chips than I did. He showed K-K. The flop came 4-9-Ace! I had taken the lead on the flop. The turn card was a 2 and I was anticipating a nice stack of almost $20,000 when the flop came A KING!! The guy had two possible winning cards and he hit one on the river to knock me out of the tourney in 28th place. Frustrating...
Earlier in the day I won $125 in blackjack, so it wasn't a losing day, but I came soooo close to winning another 300 in the tourney.
While waiting for the tourney to begin, I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich at the Nosh eatery and saw a heart-wrenching scene involving a Dad and his two young daughters. Dad was hustling across the casino floor pulling a suitcase behind him. His long legs were moving fast and the two girls, about 4 or 5 were desperately trying to keep up while pulling their own tiny Dora the Explorer suitcases. Dad was 10 feet, then 15 feet ahead of the girls moving quickly across the Ballys casino floor. The girls were crying out "Daddy, Wait" and "Daddy, Daddy." But he didn't seem to hear and was soon some 20 feet ahead of the girls in a busy casino. I wanted to slap the guy. Finally he stopped and looked back. He waited while the girls caught up, but seemed irritated that their little legs couldn't keep up. What a jerk!!
On Tuesday, Helen and I went to see "Hitzville," a Motown music show at Planet Hollywood. It was GREAT. A live 5-piece band and 7 talented singers played dozens of Motown songs from the '60s. It was great fun and brought back a lot of memories. During the show a video montage of the original Motown groups is shown on three screens. The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and others were shown. At $45 a ticket, it's a huge bargain and I recommend it to anyone who loves Motown music.
Next Monday night, Scott comes to visit. It'll be good to see him and we're going to see "Million Dollar Quartet" with him the following day. Then next Wednesday our niece, Tricia and her husband Kevin come for a visit. They're staying at the Mirage and will be seeing "Love" the Beatles show. Should be fun seeing them!
And so our LV adventure continues...
The event started promptly at 6 p.m. with 59 players, a larger than usual field for recent tourneys. I got off to a good start, taking down a few pots and building my stack from $5,000 to almost 12,000 when the 10-minute break came 100 minutes into play. By then the field had been whittled to 36 and I was in pretty good shape. I had the 3rd largest stack at the table and decided I would only play solid starting hands and try to steal the blinds when possible.
After the break, some of the short-stacked players began to fall out until there were 32, 30, 29 players left. I lost some valuable chips when I looked down and found A-Q of mixed suits in my hand. The blinds at this time were $1000 and 500. Several players folded, so I bet $3,000 thinking I could take down the blinds. But I barely got my chips in the pot when the guy to my left went all in for $10,000. I just couldn't risk all my chips, so I had to fold. The loss left me with about $9,500 left.
The very next hand I found myself with the very same starting hand, A-Q. Again several guys folded and I went ALL IN, expecting again to take down the $1,500 in blinds. But I got a quick call from a guy who had just a few more chips than I did. He showed K-K. The flop came 4-9-Ace! I had taken the lead on the flop. The turn card was a 2 and I was anticipating a nice stack of almost $20,000 when the flop came A KING!! The guy had two possible winning cards and he hit one on the river to knock me out of the tourney in 28th place. Frustrating...
Earlier in the day I won $125 in blackjack, so it wasn't a losing day, but I came soooo close to winning another 300 in the tourney.
While waiting for the tourney to begin, I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich at the Nosh eatery and saw a heart-wrenching scene involving a Dad and his two young daughters. Dad was hustling across the casino floor pulling a suitcase behind him. His long legs were moving fast and the two girls, about 4 or 5 were desperately trying to keep up while pulling their own tiny Dora the Explorer suitcases. Dad was 10 feet, then 15 feet ahead of the girls moving quickly across the Ballys casino floor. The girls were crying out "Daddy, Wait" and "Daddy, Daddy." But he didn't seem to hear and was soon some 20 feet ahead of the girls in a busy casino. I wanted to slap the guy. Finally he stopped and looked back. He waited while the girls caught up, but seemed irritated that their little legs couldn't keep up. What a jerk!!
On Tuesday, Helen and I went to see "Hitzville," a Motown music show at Planet Hollywood. It was GREAT. A live 5-piece band and 7 talented singers played dozens of Motown songs from the '60s. It was great fun and brought back a lot of memories. During the show a video montage of the original Motown groups is shown on three screens. The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and others were shown. At $45 a ticket, it's a huge bargain and I recommend it to anyone who loves Motown music.
Next Monday night, Scott comes to visit. It'll be good to see him and we're going to see "Million Dollar Quartet" with him the following day. Then next Wednesday our niece, Tricia and her husband Kevin come for a visit. They're staying at the Mirage and will be seeing "Love" the Beatles show. Should be fun seeing them!
And so our LV adventure continues...
Monday, January 18, 2016
It's Show Time!
The next week will find us seeing a couple of fun-sounding shows. Helen and I are looking forward to seeing "Hitzville," a Motown musical show tomorrow night at Planet Hollywood. Then a week later we're going back to re-see "Million Dollar Quartet" with Scott at Harrah's. Scott has a business trip to Arizona next weekend, then will make the drive to LV on Monday and spend that night and Tuesday night with us before flying back to Michigan on Wednesday. So we're all going to MDQ on Tuesday night. Should be fun.
Over the weekend I had one losing session and two winning sessions on The Strip. On Friday, I lost $70 in poker at Ballys. but bounced back with a nice $550 win on Saturday and another $440 profit yesterday. Both of those were mostly blackjack. I was playing a lot of poker at Ballys where I ran into a guy who grew up in Traverse City. His name was Tony and he played football for Jim Ooley in the 1980s. Now he's a sales rep in the Detroit area, but would like to move back to TC some day.
Also had some football success during the NFL playoffs. I played a teaser of Chiefs +11 and Packers+13.5 that paid $183. Another teaser of Pats +1.5, Cardinals -1 and Broncos -1 paid $109. Lost a parlay with Cardinals -7 on the Packers Hail Mary pass that tied the game, but that's football.
Yesterday I played both poker and blackjack at Ballys, but took some time for a Strip walk. A stop by Cromwell was successful, with a $300 win. But the most important stop was at the Ghiradelli chocolate shop where I snagged a bag of their 80-piece chocolates for $27.95. They offer you $20 off if you buy 3 bags, but I just wasn't up for that yet.
While I was on my Strip Trip, Helen was on the phone with friends and family. She's also enjoying some of the movie channels we have on our Cox Cable subscription. On the way home, I picked up some BBQ chicken salads from Capriottis. The plan was to eat light/healthy to offset our later gorging on chocolate. Well, gorging might be an exaggeration. Helen and I are able to limit our intake to 3 or 4 pieces each and call that good. We enjoyed the treats while watching "Downton Abbey" then it was time for bed.
This morning I need to get over to Red Rock Casino where they are giving away Fleece Jackets to club members starting at 10 a.m. Because I am one of their higher level club members - I'm a President Level Player - I can pick my new free fleece up starting at 9 a.m. Then I'll head to Ballys where I need less than an hour to qualify for the Wednesday night Free Roll Tournament.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Over the weekend I had one losing session and two winning sessions on The Strip. On Friday, I lost $70 in poker at Ballys. but bounced back with a nice $550 win on Saturday and another $440 profit yesterday. Both of those were mostly blackjack. I was playing a lot of poker at Ballys where I ran into a guy who grew up in Traverse City. His name was Tony and he played football for Jim Ooley in the 1980s. Now he's a sales rep in the Detroit area, but would like to move back to TC some day.
Also had some football success during the NFL playoffs. I played a teaser of Chiefs +11 and Packers+13.5 that paid $183. Another teaser of Pats +1.5, Cardinals -1 and Broncos -1 paid $109. Lost a parlay with Cardinals -7 on the Packers Hail Mary pass that tied the game, but that's football.
Yesterday I played both poker and blackjack at Ballys, but took some time for a Strip walk. A stop by Cromwell was successful, with a $300 win. But the most important stop was at the Ghiradelli chocolate shop where I snagged a bag of their 80-piece chocolates for $27.95. They offer you $20 off if you buy 3 bags, but I just wasn't up for that yet.
While I was on my Strip Trip, Helen was on the phone with friends and family. She's also enjoying some of the movie channels we have on our Cox Cable subscription. On the way home, I picked up some BBQ chicken salads from Capriottis. The plan was to eat light/healthy to offset our later gorging on chocolate. Well, gorging might be an exaggeration. Helen and I are able to limit our intake to 3 or 4 pieces each and call that good. We enjoyed the treats while watching "Downton Abbey" then it was time for bed.
This morning I need to get over to Red Rock Casino where they are giving away Fleece Jackets to club members starting at 10 a.m. Because I am one of their higher level club members - I'm a President Level Player - I can pick my new free fleece up starting at 9 a.m. Then I'll head to Ballys where I need less than an hour to qualify for the Wednesday night Free Roll Tournament.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Thursday, January 14, 2016
An Evening with John Fogerty
Helen and I spent a GREAT evening hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival founder John Fogerty performing at the Venetian on Wednesday. The 70-year-old rocked the house for more than 90 minutes as he played all of CCR's great hits. His band was tight and his voice was still strong. One of the highlights was when he teamed up with his son Shane on a couple of tunes. Fogerty is a mult-talented musician and he showed it by playing not only guitar, but piano and harmonica too. The crowd was full of AARP-age folks and it was more than a little disconcerting seeing grannies rocking their tight leather pants. But it was a fun night!
Before the concert, we stopped by Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile Shops - one of Helen's favorite shopping venues. At a Skecher store she found a pair of shoes that she liked and they were on sale, so....done deal. At an ABC store she bought a pair of small leather purses and I found a couple of new Las Vegas t-shirts. Strolling through the shops, we also stopped for dinner at a Mexican place where we shared some appetizers. It was a perfect sized tasty meal, just enough but not too much.
After dinner, we drove to the Venetian, where the concert was set for 8 p.m. We got down there about 6 and killed some time visiting the Canal Shoppes and checking out the sports book. I also played a 25-cent Wheel of Fortune machine where I won $10. Earlier in the day, I had visited Red Rock casino and played a little blackjack. Over an hour or so, I eked out a $110 win.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Before the concert, we stopped by Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile Shops - one of Helen's favorite shopping venues. At a Skecher store she found a pair of shoes that she liked and they were on sale, so....done deal. At an ABC store she bought a pair of small leather purses and I found a couple of new Las Vegas t-shirts. Strolling through the shops, we also stopped for dinner at a Mexican place where we shared some appetizers. It was a perfect sized tasty meal, just enough but not too much.
After dinner, we drove to the Venetian, where the concert was set for 8 p.m. We got down there about 6 and killed some time visiting the Canal Shoppes and checking out the sports book. I also played a 25-cent Wheel of Fortune machine where I won $10. Earlier in the day, I had visited Red Rock casino and played a little blackjack. Over an hour or so, I eked out a $110 win.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Great Day on Anna's Birthday
Tuesday was Anna's Birthday, so we called down to Houston to wish her the best. She and Helen were still chatting when I decided to go make some money.
I drove over to Red Rock about 10 a.m. for a little blackjack action before heading down to the Strip. Walking into Red Rock, I pulled a ticket from my wallet, that I knew to be a loser. For the Monday night college football championship game, I bet a $20 parlay involving Clemson, total fg made and most points scored in the second half. I believed it was a loser because I thought I needed more than 3 fgs to win and Bama and Clemson kicked 3 between them.
But checking the ticket, I had a winner! Turns out I needed 3 fgs, not OVER 3 fg. Senior moment, I guess. Always double check your tickets! So I cashed for $120 and headed for the bj pit. I had a nice run and in about an hour I racked up $320 and decided to head to the Strip.
I parked on the roof of Bellagio, then walked over to Caesar's Palace where I headed straight to the box office where I bought two tickets for the Rod Stewart concert on March 23. They
were $117 each. Then I found a bj table and in about 30 minutes I was up $180 and decided to buy more tickets.
I had learned about a reasonably-priced Motown show at Planet Hollywood called "Hitzville" so I decided to get tickets for that. "Hitzville" features music by the Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops and more. Should be a good one. And the girl at the ticket counter recommended it highly, saying she's seen it three times. I joked that she HAS to say that, right? But no, she admitted some of the shows are not her favs. She gave me $25 off each ticket for a locals discount. So for both stubs, it was only $92, including taxes and fees.
I've been getting a good deal of walking along the Strip and the hike from CP to PH was taking its toll in the form of a blister on my right heel. I had a previous blister on my left foot, so today I switched from my sneakers to my sandals. I knew the right heel was sore, but I was surprised to see that it was bleeding. So after buying the tickets, I looked for a bj table to sit and rest a bit.
Played one-on-one with an Asian woman named Ral. It was a 6-deck game dealt from a shoe and I was betting $10-15 per hand and doing really well when I encountered the biggest hand of the day - or several days. I was up about $170 and was playing one or two hands, depending on how the cards were running. At this time, I played two hands of $20 each. On the first hand I was dealt 7-4 and on the second it was 3-3. Ral showed a 6, so I doubled down on the first hand and split the 3s. I got a 7 on the first 3 and had to double down on that. Then on the second 3, I got another 3, splitting them again. Then I got another 3, again splitting.
On two of the 3s I got face cards, but on one of them I got an 8, triggering another double down. By the time the splitting and doubling was over, I had 8 bets out there of $20 each. Ral flipped her hole card, showing an 8 for a total of 14, then she hit - an 8 and BUST! That $160 win propelled me to a $410 profit for the session and I left, planning to walk gingerly back to Bellagio and the car.
But as I walked by Paris, I decided to visit Ballys and hobbled under the Eiffel Tower, along the cobblestone walkway and into Ballys. This place has been my comfort zone for decades. I clearly remember coming here in 1984, during my first trip to Vegas, and winning $600 in one session. There have been plenty of other winning - and losing - bj sessions here over the years. So I settled into a bj table, planning to rest my foot, get a bottled water and play for 30 minutes or so. Got the water and began to play. I started slow, losing one, winning one, losing two, winning one, etc. I was dwindling my $100 buy-in when I hit a streak. I won 5 hands in a row, slowly bumping my bet. When the shoe ended, I was up $120 and decided to leave. I limped back across the bridge to Bellagio and made my way to the car.
It was the most profitable day of the year - over the 4 sessions, I netted $1,030. My first THOUSAND DOLLAR DAY of 2016. On the way home, I stopped for some takeout at Jason's Deli, one of our favorite eateries. I had a pastrami on rye and got Helen a California Club sandwich. Tasty stuff! Helen had spent the day making some custom birthday cards online and talking with relatives.
On Monday, she had fun skyping with her sisters Nat and Susan in TC. It was Susan's birthday and Helen was able to "attend" a little party for Sue via the internet.
Tonight we have tickets to see John Fogerty at the Venetian. Should be fun hearing lots of those old Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. Dinner will probably be somewhere on the Strip. And so our LV adventure continues...
I drove over to Red Rock about 10 a.m. for a little blackjack action before heading down to the Strip. Walking into Red Rock, I pulled a ticket from my wallet, that I knew to be a loser. For the Monday night college football championship game, I bet a $20 parlay involving Clemson, total fg made and most points scored in the second half. I believed it was a loser because I thought I needed more than 3 fgs to win and Bama and Clemson kicked 3 between them.
But checking the ticket, I had a winner! Turns out I needed 3 fgs, not OVER 3 fg. Senior moment, I guess. Always double check your tickets! So I cashed for $120 and headed for the bj pit. I had a nice run and in about an hour I racked up $320 and decided to head to the Strip.
I parked on the roof of Bellagio, then walked over to Caesar's Palace where I headed straight to the box office where I bought two tickets for the Rod Stewart concert on March 23. They
were $117 each. Then I found a bj table and in about 30 minutes I was up $180 and decided to buy more tickets.
I had learned about a reasonably-priced Motown show at Planet Hollywood called "Hitzville" so I decided to get tickets for that. "Hitzville" features music by the Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops and more. Should be a good one. And the girl at the ticket counter recommended it highly, saying she's seen it three times. I joked that she HAS to say that, right? But no, she admitted some of the shows are not her favs. She gave me $25 off each ticket for a locals discount. So for both stubs, it was only $92, including taxes and fees.
I've been getting a good deal of walking along the Strip and the hike from CP to PH was taking its toll in the form of a blister on my right heel. I had a previous blister on my left foot, so today I switched from my sneakers to my sandals. I knew the right heel was sore, but I was surprised to see that it was bleeding. So after buying the tickets, I looked for a bj table to sit and rest a bit.
Played one-on-one with an Asian woman named Ral. It was a 6-deck game dealt from a shoe and I was betting $10-15 per hand and doing really well when I encountered the biggest hand of the day - or several days. I was up about $170 and was playing one or two hands, depending on how the cards were running. At this time, I played two hands of $20 each. On the first hand I was dealt 7-4 and on the second it was 3-3. Ral showed a 6, so I doubled down on the first hand and split the 3s. I got a 7 on the first 3 and had to double down on that. Then on the second 3, I got another 3, splitting them again. Then I got another 3, again splitting.
On two of the 3s I got face cards, but on one of them I got an 8, triggering another double down. By the time the splitting and doubling was over, I had 8 bets out there of $20 each. Ral flipped her hole card, showing an 8 for a total of 14, then she hit - an 8 and BUST! That $160 win propelled me to a $410 profit for the session and I left, planning to walk gingerly back to Bellagio and the car.
But as I walked by Paris, I decided to visit Ballys and hobbled under the Eiffel Tower, along the cobblestone walkway and into Ballys. This place has been my comfort zone for decades. I clearly remember coming here in 1984, during my first trip to Vegas, and winning $600 in one session. There have been plenty of other winning - and losing - bj sessions here over the years. So I settled into a bj table, planning to rest my foot, get a bottled water and play for 30 minutes or so. Got the water and began to play. I started slow, losing one, winning one, losing two, winning one, etc. I was dwindling my $100 buy-in when I hit a streak. I won 5 hands in a row, slowly bumping my bet. When the shoe ended, I was up $120 and decided to leave. I limped back across the bridge to Bellagio and made my way to the car.
It was the most profitable day of the year - over the 4 sessions, I netted $1,030. My first THOUSAND DOLLAR DAY of 2016. On the way home, I stopped for some takeout at Jason's Deli, one of our favorite eateries. I had a pastrami on rye and got Helen a California Club sandwich. Tasty stuff! Helen had spent the day making some custom birthday cards online and talking with relatives.
On Monday, she had fun skyping with her sisters Nat and Susan in TC. It was Susan's birthday and Helen was able to "attend" a little party for Sue via the internet.
Tonight we have tickets to see John Fogerty at the Venetian. Should be fun hearing lots of those old Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. Dinner will probably be somewhere on the Strip. And so our LV adventure continues...
Friday, January 8, 2016
NFL Wild Card Weekend SuperBowl Odds
Red Rock Casino is offering these NFL odds.
Superbowl winner
Panthers and Cardinals 5-2
Patriots 3-1
Seahawks and Broncos 4-1
Steelers 7-1
Chiefs 14-1
Bengals 17-1
Packers 20-1
Vikings 25-1
Redskins 35-1
Texans 55-1
You can also bet on the NFC team -2.5 with a total of 51.5.
Superbowl winner
Panthers and Cardinals 5-2
Patriots 3-1
Seahawks and Broncos 4-1
Steelers 7-1
Chiefs 14-1
Bengals 17-1
Packers 20-1
Vikings 25-1
Redskins 35-1
Texans 55-1
You can also bet on the NFC team -2.5 with a total of 51.5.
Computer Virus Attacks, But We're Back Now
My trusty laptop had been giving me problems and last Monday it finally froze up and wouldn't let me access my emails, so on Tuesday I took it to our local computer guru, a friendly knowledgeable guy named Armando, LV Computer Doctor.
He took it apart, cleaned it up, installed Windows 10 and a few security programs and we're back online. I picked it up this morning and it's faster than ever. We met Armando last month when we had Helen's laptop undergo the same cleaning and updating process.
Beginning Jan. 1, I have been faithfully tracking our wins and losses. Through eight days, I have had six winning days and only two losing days. My good fortune has continued in both blackjack and poker. Before going to Armando's, I visited Red Rock casino and had a nice blackjack run that netted me $270 in about an hour. Then it was time for the 30-minute drive to the computer shop.
After leaving Armando's shop - he has a place about three miles northwest of the Strip - I drove to Wynn to play. The place was surprisingly busy, but it reminded me that the Consumer Electronics Show is in town. There used to be a standing joke that the pocket-protector-sporting CES participants would come to town with a fresh white shirt and a $20 bill and never change either one.
Not big spenders.
Anyway, I made my way from the rooftop parking deck, past the Ferrari store (yes you can buy a car there, but act fast because it's supposed to close soon) and to the casino. Found a blackjack table and won $130 in about 30 minutes. Then I took a break and checked out the elegance of Wynn and its sister casino, Encore. Both are beautiful, upscale locations that rival the elegance of Bellagio. While strolling into Encore, I played bj for about 15 minutes and posted a $70 win. Then it was a hike back to Wynn and up to the car.
I drove south on the Strip, finally stopping at Excalibur. Haven't been there for a couple of years, but I thought I'd check it out. Excalibur is a bit shabby compared to Wynn or Encore. Compared to other joints on the Strip, it's a family-oriented, low-roller sort of place. It's one of the MGM properties where they accept the MCard, which I turned in when I sat down for some blackjack. I looked for a two-deck pitch game, but all they have are 6-deck shoe games. I settled in and in about 15 minutes, I was up $120 and decided to walk.
So far my hit-and-run technique was working perfectly - four stops, four wins. I still had about two hours before I would head home, so I drove to MGM to play. I decided to mix things up and play some poker there. I checked in at the poker room and they were about ready to start a new game in 10 minutes. So I took a walk, visited the restroom and by the time I got back the game was beginning.
I sat four seats to the left of the dealer, one of my favorite spots. It's easy to see the flop from this point.
It was an up and down session. I won a couple of early pots with two pairs. On one hand I looked down at A-A and anticipated raking a nice pot. But when I bet $7, everyone folded and all I won was $7 from the blinds and two other players. Never got up too much or down too little. But as I was getting ready to go, I realized I was down $18. I really wanted to post another win, so I was happy when I looked down and, once again, saw A-A winking back at me.
This time, I bet $7 and got two callers. The flop came 4-7-J of different suits. The two callers checked and I again bet $7. One guy called, the other folded. Turn card was a 2. I bet $15 and the guy folded. So I took down a pot of $35, showing the Aces. Two hands later, I racked up my chips and left with a $16 profit. For the six sessions, I won $606. A nice day's work and the second highest total of the year, so far.
While I was out, Helen did some healthcare paperwork that she needs to do annually for her MS medicine. I need to mail that tomorrow. She also did some texting with Anna, who is back in Houston after visiting Michael in LA for awhile.
Traffic was heavy leaving the Strip and it took almost an hour to get home, where I made us two fresh, healthy salads for dinner. We enjoyed some Ghiradelli chocolates for dessert while we watched TV. Then it was time for me to get caught up on the blog as our LV adventure continues...
He took it apart, cleaned it up, installed Windows 10 and a few security programs and we're back online. I picked it up this morning and it's faster than ever. We met Armando last month when we had Helen's laptop undergo the same cleaning and updating process.
Beginning Jan. 1, I have been faithfully tracking our wins and losses. Through eight days, I have had six winning days and only two losing days. My good fortune has continued in both blackjack and poker. Before going to Armando's, I visited Red Rock casino and had a nice blackjack run that netted me $270 in about an hour. Then it was time for the 30-minute drive to the computer shop.
After leaving Armando's shop - he has a place about three miles northwest of the Strip - I drove to Wynn to play. The place was surprisingly busy, but it reminded me that the Consumer Electronics Show is in town. There used to be a standing joke that the pocket-protector-sporting CES participants would come to town with a fresh white shirt and a $20 bill and never change either one.
Not big spenders.
Anyway, I made my way from the rooftop parking deck, past the Ferrari store (yes you can buy a car there, but act fast because it's supposed to close soon) and to the casino. Found a blackjack table and won $130 in about 30 minutes. Then I took a break and checked out the elegance of Wynn and its sister casino, Encore. Both are beautiful, upscale locations that rival the elegance of Bellagio. While strolling into Encore, I played bj for about 15 minutes and posted a $70 win. Then it was a hike back to Wynn and up to the car.
I drove south on the Strip, finally stopping at Excalibur. Haven't been there for a couple of years, but I thought I'd check it out. Excalibur is a bit shabby compared to Wynn or Encore. Compared to other joints on the Strip, it's a family-oriented, low-roller sort of place. It's one of the MGM properties where they accept the MCard, which I turned in when I sat down for some blackjack. I looked for a two-deck pitch game, but all they have are 6-deck shoe games. I settled in and in about 15 minutes, I was up $120 and decided to walk.
So far my hit-and-run technique was working perfectly - four stops, four wins. I still had about two hours before I would head home, so I drove to MGM to play. I decided to mix things up and play some poker there. I checked in at the poker room and they were about ready to start a new game in 10 minutes. So I took a walk, visited the restroom and by the time I got back the game was beginning.
I sat four seats to the left of the dealer, one of my favorite spots. It's easy to see the flop from this point.
It was an up and down session. I won a couple of early pots with two pairs. On one hand I looked down at A-A and anticipated raking a nice pot. But when I bet $7, everyone folded and all I won was $7 from the blinds and two other players. Never got up too much or down too little. But as I was getting ready to go, I realized I was down $18. I really wanted to post another win, so I was happy when I looked down and, once again, saw A-A winking back at me.
This time, I bet $7 and got two callers. The flop came 4-7-J of different suits. The two callers checked and I again bet $7. One guy called, the other folded. Turn card was a 2. I bet $15 and the guy folded. So I took down a pot of $35, showing the Aces. Two hands later, I racked up my chips and left with a $16 profit. For the six sessions, I won $606. A nice day's work and the second highest total of the year, so far.
While I was out, Helen did some healthcare paperwork that she needs to do annually for her MS medicine. I need to mail that tomorrow. She also did some texting with Anna, who is back in Houston after visiting Michael in LA for awhile.
Traffic was heavy leaving the Strip and it took almost an hour to get home, where I made us two fresh, healthy salads for dinner. We enjoyed some Ghiradelli chocolates for dessert while we watched TV. Then it was time for me to get caught up on the blog as our LV adventure continues...
Monday, January 4, 2016
2016 Off To a Nice Start
Four days into the New Year and I'm just getting around to catching up on the blog.
It's been a blur of blackjack, poker and football games for the first few days of January. New Year's Eve was a low-key celebration for Helen and I. At 9 p.m. we popped the cork on some champagne and welcomed 2016.
After all, it was already midnight in Michigan were so many of our friends and family were already celebrating. Earlier that day I visited the Albertsons market and loaded up on chicken wings, potato salad, edamame salad, chips, dips, summer sausage, cheeses, olives and more. That gave us plenty of snackables to last for a few days.
On New Year;s Day I went to Red Rock to watch football and play some blackjack. I dropped $35 at the bj table. A rare losing session. The following day, Saturday, I went to Bally's to log hours toward the freeroll tourney. I rebounded with a vengeance, posting a sweet $500 win in poker and $335 in blackjack. Had several nice poker hands, but one of the most memorable was one that wasn't a winner.
I got dealt the K-10 of clubs and the flop was two more clubs A-J. I needed the Queen of clubs for my first ever Royal Flush. But, sorry, it didn't come. Any Queen would give me a straight, or a King would have given me high pair, but in fact, none of them and no clubs hit the turn or the river and I ended up with only a King high...no pairs, no straight. Still, it was a GREAT profitable day.
On Sunday, I was back at Red Rock by 9 a.m. to get in some football action and play poker. I hit a couple of nice hands and posted a profit of $140, factoring in my losing fb bets. One nice hand occurred when I was dealt A-6 of Hearts and the flop came A-6-10. A guy at the end bet $10 and I raised it to $20. Everyone else folded, but the original better sat and thought about it. He'd been shoving All-In on almost every hand he played, so I expected him to do it again.
I was not disappointed. He made a dramatic show of stacking all his chips - about $115 - and slowly shoving them into the center of the table and announcing "All In." I immediately called. The turn and river were non-factors and I showed my two pair. He muttered and tossed his cards face down into the muck. That was a nice pot!
This morning I drove down to Mandalay Bay to get tickets for the Michael Jackson show, "One." Our friends the Edsons and Tunes are coming to visit in Feb. and we decided to see the show together. We're all set for 6 tickets for the Feb. 19 show. They didn't offer a "locals discount" but they did offer a MCard discount if I had a players club card, which I did. So that knocked about $25 off each ticket. All six cost $601 - not bad for a major Vegas show on a Friday night. We were lucky to get six seats close to each other, especially since one is handicapped access for Helen.
After buying the tickets, I drove to Ballys and played some poker. I wanted to log a few hours toward the freeroll. I played for about 3 hours, posting a profit of $160. I have 8 hours so far, and need to get 4 more in for the tourney. About 2:30 I took a break from poker and walked to the Ghiradelli shop to buy some chocolates. En route to the chocolate store, I ate an apple I had brought from home. Somehow having that solitary fruit for lunch seemed to offset the decision to buy a big bag of chocolates.
Then it was a hike back to Ballys. The poker room was pretty full and there was a wait, so I found a blackjack table and played for an hour, stacking a profit of $200. Then it was time to head home. For the day, I won $360, got the tickets and some chocolates. A pretty nice day!
When I got home I made dinner - wild rice and vegetables. And Helen and I sampled the chocolates, limiting ourselves to 3 each. She was a little under the weather today, so she logged some couch time and addressed birthday cards to go out tomorrow.
And tomorrow our adventure continues...
It's been a blur of blackjack, poker and football games for the first few days of January. New Year's Eve was a low-key celebration for Helen and I. At 9 p.m. we popped the cork on some champagne and welcomed 2016.
After all, it was already midnight in Michigan were so many of our friends and family were already celebrating. Earlier that day I visited the Albertsons market and loaded up on chicken wings, potato salad, edamame salad, chips, dips, summer sausage, cheeses, olives and more. That gave us plenty of snackables to last for a few days.
On New Year;s Day I went to Red Rock to watch football and play some blackjack. I dropped $35 at the bj table. A rare losing session. The following day, Saturday, I went to Bally's to log hours toward the freeroll tourney. I rebounded with a vengeance, posting a sweet $500 win in poker and $335 in blackjack. Had several nice poker hands, but one of the most memorable was one that wasn't a winner.
I got dealt the K-10 of clubs and the flop was two more clubs A-J. I needed the Queen of clubs for my first ever Royal Flush. But, sorry, it didn't come. Any Queen would give me a straight, or a King would have given me high pair, but in fact, none of them and no clubs hit the turn or the river and I ended up with only a King high...no pairs, no straight. Still, it was a GREAT profitable day.
On Sunday, I was back at Red Rock by 9 a.m. to get in some football action and play poker. I hit a couple of nice hands and posted a profit of $140, factoring in my losing fb bets. One nice hand occurred when I was dealt A-6 of Hearts and the flop came A-6-10. A guy at the end bet $10 and I raised it to $20. Everyone else folded, but the original better sat and thought about it. He'd been shoving All-In on almost every hand he played, so I expected him to do it again.
I was not disappointed. He made a dramatic show of stacking all his chips - about $115 - and slowly shoving them into the center of the table and announcing "All In." I immediately called. The turn and river were non-factors and I showed my two pair. He muttered and tossed his cards face down into the muck. That was a nice pot!
This morning I drove down to Mandalay Bay to get tickets for the Michael Jackson show, "One." Our friends the Edsons and Tunes are coming to visit in Feb. and we decided to see the show together. We're all set for 6 tickets for the Feb. 19 show. They didn't offer a "locals discount" but they did offer a MCard discount if I had a players club card, which I did. So that knocked about $25 off each ticket. All six cost $601 - not bad for a major Vegas show on a Friday night. We were lucky to get six seats close to each other, especially since one is handicapped access for Helen.
After buying the tickets, I drove to Ballys and played some poker. I wanted to log a few hours toward the freeroll. I played for about 3 hours, posting a profit of $160. I have 8 hours so far, and need to get 4 more in for the tourney. About 2:30 I took a break from poker and walked to the Ghiradelli shop to buy some chocolates. En route to the chocolate store, I ate an apple I had brought from home. Somehow having that solitary fruit for lunch seemed to offset the decision to buy a big bag of chocolates.
Then it was a hike back to Ballys. The poker room was pretty full and there was a wait, so I found a blackjack table and played for an hour, stacking a profit of $200. Then it was time to head home. For the day, I won $360, got the tickets and some chocolates. A pretty nice day!
When I got home I made dinner - wild rice and vegetables. And Helen and I sampled the chocolates, limiting ourselves to 3 each. She was a little under the weather today, so she logged some couch time and addressed birthday cards to go out tomorrow.
And tomorrow our adventure continues...
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