Rolled over to the Rampart Casino this morning for a brief blackjack session.
Helen hasn't been doing well lately and I don't leave her for very long, but she insisted that I go out for an hour or two. So I went to Rampart, arriving about 9:30 and planning to play til 11 or so.
When I walked in the casino was dead quiet. They only had two BJ tables going and only 1 player at them. So I sat down and the empty table and bought in for $200. Got off to a rough start and was down to 100 when I got hot and rolled off 4-5 hands in a row. After 45 minutes I was up $350 and left.
Before I left I bought a moneyline parlay ticket on College Hoops. I need Michigan, Louisville and Virginia to win and it will pay $105.
Also - for you golf fans - I picked up a sheet on the 2017 Masters set for April 6-9.
Here are a few favorites and other notables.
Jason Day 7-1
Jordan Spieth 8-1
Rory McIlroy 10-1
Dustin Johnson 12-1
Bubba Watson 15-1
Adam Scott 20-1
Tiger Woods 60-1
Ernie Els 200-1
Fred Couples 250-1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 250-1 (Not a jumble puzzle, but a real golfer, I guess. Not an athlete, a golfer)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
College Hoops Odds
Red Rock Casino has posted odds for the NCAA Basketball Championship to be played April 3 in Glendale AZ. Here are some of the current favorites:
Duke 7-2
Kentucky 9-2
North Carolina 8-1
Kansas, Wisconsin, Syracuse 10-1
Villanova, Gonzaga 18-1
MICHIGAN STATE, Arizona, Oregon 20-1
Louisville, Indiana, Virginia 25-1
Creighton 30-1
UCLA, Xavier 35-1
MICHIGAN 60-1
Duke 7-2
Kentucky 9-2
North Carolina 8-1
Kansas, Wisconsin, Syracuse 10-1
Villanova, Gonzaga 18-1
MICHIGAN STATE, Arizona, Oregon 20-1
Louisville, Indiana, Virginia 25-1
Creighton 30-1
UCLA, Xavier 35-1
MICHIGAN 60-1
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
NHL Hockey in Vegas!
NHL fans may know that Las Vegas will have a new franchise starting in the 2017-18 season.
And LV is abuzz about their Golden Knights. Businesses around town are showing the team's logo and posting signs supporting the squad. But even though the team won't hit the ice for a year, you can still wager on the Golden Knights today.
The Red Rock casino offers these futures bets on the Knights:
First Goal scored in the team's opening game.
Full strength goal 2/3
Power Play goal 2/1
Short handed goal 10/1
Penalty shot in regulation 25/1
No goals in regulation 4/1
Knights 1st Home Game
Opponent -170
Knights +150
Total points scored by the Knights during the 2017-18 season:
Over 72.5 -110
Under 72.5 -110
Here are some Stanley Cup odds for the current season:
Blackhawks 9-2
Oilers 6-1
Caps, Penguins 7-1
Canadiens, Rangers 8-1
Lightning 9-1
Blues, Sharks 10-1
Red Wings 22-1
And LV is abuzz about their Golden Knights. Businesses around town are showing the team's logo and posting signs supporting the squad. But even though the team won't hit the ice for a year, you can still wager on the Golden Knights today.
The Red Rock casino offers these futures bets on the Knights:
First Goal scored in the team's opening game.
Full strength goal 2/3
Power Play goal 2/1
Short handed goal 10/1
Penalty shot in regulation 25/1
No goals in regulation 4/1
Knights 1st Home Game
Opponent -170
Knights +150
Total points scored by the Knights during the 2017-18 season:
Over 72.5 -110
Under 72.5 -110
Here are some Stanley Cup odds for the current season:
Blackhawks 9-2
Oilers 6-1
Caps, Penguins 7-1
Canadiens, Rangers 8-1
Lightning 9-1
Blues, Sharks 10-1
Red Wings 22-1
Monday, November 28, 2016
Football Weekend and Strangeness at Red Rock
We had a very low-key weekend with the focus on watching FB at home.
Helen has had a few rough days health-wise. She's feeling weak and I just didn't feel good about leaving her alone for more than a few minutes. So on Saturday we watched the Michigan-OSU game and, of course, weren't happy with the outcome.
Then on Sunday we watched the Raiders knock off Carolina and that turned out much better for us members of the Raider Nation. I won both of my fantasy league games and now have a firm grip on first place in both leagues.
I lost a couple of football bets when Seattle went down, but I also had a pair of winners for a profit of $150.I hit a 5-team teaser of Western Michigan, U of Washington, Penn State, Wisconsin and USC for $100 and also connected on a 9-team teaser of the Vikings, Redskins, Steelers, WMU, U-M, Bills, Saints, Giants and Patriots. That one pays $175.
So this morning I went over to Red Rock to cash the tickets and when I walked in the place was kind of spooky.
All the video games were black. All the large screens in the sports book were dark. No music was playing. There were ceiling lights and power in the food court, but everywhere else was out of power. I walked around to the blackjack pits and the dealers were just sitting around - no cards were in the air. I talked to a maintenance guy and he said the partial power outage had lasted about 3 hours already and no sign when it would end. Pretty strange to see a big casino absolutely silent.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Helen has had a few rough days health-wise. She's feeling weak and I just didn't feel good about leaving her alone for more than a few minutes. So on Saturday we watched the Michigan-OSU game and, of course, weren't happy with the outcome.
Then on Sunday we watched the Raiders knock off Carolina and that turned out much better for us members of the Raider Nation. I won both of my fantasy league games and now have a firm grip on first place in both leagues.
I lost a couple of football bets when Seattle went down, but I also had a pair of winners for a profit of $150.I hit a 5-team teaser of Western Michigan, U of Washington, Penn State, Wisconsin and USC for $100 and also connected on a 9-team teaser of the Vikings, Redskins, Steelers, WMU, U-M, Bills, Saints, Giants and Patriots. That one pays $175.
So this morning I went over to Red Rock to cash the tickets and when I walked in the place was kind of spooky.
All the video games were black. All the large screens in the sports book were dark. No music was playing. There were ceiling lights and power in the food court, but everywhere else was out of power. I walked around to the blackjack pits and the dealers were just sitting around - no cards were in the air. I talked to a maintenance guy and he said the partial power outage had lasted about 3 hours already and no sign when it would end. Pretty strange to see a big casino absolutely silent.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Friday, November 25, 2016
Thanksgiving in LV
Helen and I marked Thanksgiving in Vegas with a trip to the Red Rock Casino's impressive buffet.
Our plan was to eat relatively early since I was to play in Bally's Free Roll Poker Tourney at 6 p.m. More on that later.
We arrived at the buffet about 11:30 a.m. and had about a 20-minute wait to get seated. The meal was $19.95 per person, but because I am at the President Level as a player, we got 50% off. And I was able to use comp points to cover the cost, so basically it was a FREE Thanksgiving Day dinner. I filled both of our plates with turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, cranberry sauce, broccoli and more. Then for dessert I had a slice of Boston cream pie and a piece of carrot cake. Helen had a chocolate brownie type pastry and a slice of cheesecake. It was a really nice way to mark the day. No muss, no fuss - eat and waddle away.
At the sports book we checked some football scores, then headed home. I had bought a 3-team money line teaser ticket of EMU, Detroit and Dallas and that was a winner for $114.
Helen was on the phone with Anna about 4 p.m. when I left for the poker tourney. It's a weekly event that is free for anyone who logs 12 hours of play during the week. I had posted 13 hours, so was looking forward to playing, since they pay the last 20 players $300 each. Last night there were 48 players who started.
Each player starts with 5,000 in play chips. I got off to a slow start, losing a couple of hands and was quickly down to 3,500 when I got dealt A-5, both diamonds. There was 600 in the pot when I decided to try to take it down with a big bet and went all in, expecting everyone to fold. But I got called by one guy who shoved his3,500 into the pot and flipped over Q-Q. I needed some help and got it on the flop when an ACE hit the board. My aces held up and left the guy with only 300 in chips and he was knocked out a few hands later.
My stack was now just over 7,000, the highest on the table and I just sort of coasted through at that point as the number of players dwindled to 38, 32 and 23 when we took a 10-minute break. I won a couple of small pots with Q-Q when a Q hit the flop and another little pot when my 5-5 were joined by a third 5 on the flop. After the break it only took another 15 minutes for the final 3 players to get knocked out and we lined up to collect our $300.
It wasn't all profit however...I dropped 50 in blackjack while waiting for the poker tourney to begin.
Drove home and watched a little TV with Helen who spent her afternoon relaxing and talking with his sister Nat and a couple of friends. It was a fun day for us and now our adventure continues...
Our plan was to eat relatively early since I was to play in Bally's Free Roll Poker Tourney at 6 p.m. More on that later.
We arrived at the buffet about 11:30 a.m. and had about a 20-minute wait to get seated. The meal was $19.95 per person, but because I am at the President Level as a player, we got 50% off. And I was able to use comp points to cover the cost, so basically it was a FREE Thanksgiving Day dinner. I filled both of our plates with turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, cranberry sauce, broccoli and more. Then for dessert I had a slice of Boston cream pie and a piece of carrot cake. Helen had a chocolate brownie type pastry and a slice of cheesecake. It was a really nice way to mark the day. No muss, no fuss - eat and waddle away.
At the sports book we checked some football scores, then headed home. I had bought a 3-team money line teaser ticket of EMU, Detroit and Dallas and that was a winner for $114.
Helen was on the phone with Anna about 4 p.m. when I left for the poker tourney. It's a weekly event that is free for anyone who logs 12 hours of play during the week. I had posted 13 hours, so was looking forward to playing, since they pay the last 20 players $300 each. Last night there were 48 players who started.
Each player starts with 5,000 in play chips. I got off to a slow start, losing a couple of hands and was quickly down to 3,500 when I got dealt A-5, both diamonds. There was 600 in the pot when I decided to try to take it down with a big bet and went all in, expecting everyone to fold. But I got called by one guy who shoved his3,500 into the pot and flipped over Q-Q. I needed some help and got it on the flop when an ACE hit the board. My aces held up and left the guy with only 300 in chips and he was knocked out a few hands later.
My stack was now just over 7,000, the highest on the table and I just sort of coasted through at that point as the number of players dwindled to 38, 32 and 23 when we took a 10-minute break. I won a couple of small pots with Q-Q when a Q hit the flop and another little pot when my 5-5 were joined by a third 5 on the flop. After the break it only took another 15 minutes for the final 3 players to get knocked out and we lined up to collect our $300.
It wasn't all profit however...I dropped 50 in blackjack while waiting for the poker tourney to begin.
Drove home and watched a little TV with Helen who spent her afternoon relaxing and talking with his sister Nat and a couple of friends. It was a fun day for us and now our adventure continues...
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Bellagio Conservatory Visit
Helen and I took a trip to the local Target store to pick up a few items this morning, then went down to the Strip to check out the Fall Display at the Bellagio Conservatory.
Visiting the B's conservatory is one of our annual highlights in LV. It's so interesting and amazing what these guys can do with thousands of flowers and plants. It's always different and always worth seeing. This year's Fall Display ends on Friday. It's the first time we've seen a fall display, since we're usually not here til the Winter Display goes up in early December. Then in Feb. it's Chinese New Year's Display and then the Spring Display before we head home.
Visiting the B's conservatory is one of our annual highlights in LV. It's so interesting and amazing what these guys can do with thousands of flowers and plants. It's always different and always worth seeing. This year's Fall Display ends on Friday. It's the first time we've seen a fall display, since we're usually not here til the Winter Display goes up in early December. Then in Feb. it's Chinese New Year's Display and then the Spring Display before we head home.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Current Super Bowl Odds
Stopped by the Red Rock Casino this morning to cash 3 winning FB tickets and picked up their latest SB odds sheet. Here are a few highlights.
Patriots 11/10
Seahawks 7/2
Cowboys4/1
Raiders 10/1
Broncos, Colts, Falcons 15/1
Steelers 18/1
Chiefs 201/
Vikings, Giants 25/1
Lions 35/1
Bears, Jags, 49ers, Browns 5,000/1
Patriots 11/10
Seahawks 7/2
Cowboys4/1
Raiders 10/1
Broncos, Colts, Falcons 15/1
Steelers 18/1
Chiefs 201/
Vikings, Giants 25/1
Lions 35/1
Bears, Jags, 49ers, Browns 5,000/1
Monday, November 21, 2016
Weekend Update!
I've found that Saturdays are usually good days to play poker in Las Vegas. A lot of weekend visitors are in town to try their hand at the game and it's often a good opportunity to stack up some winnings.
So on Saturday I visited Ballys with two thoughts in mind - play some poker and log a few hours toward the weekly free roll tourney on Thursday night. Got down there about 10a.m hoping there would be an overnight game with a lot of bleary-eyed players from the night before. But, the poker room was dead. No game, so I looked for a blackjack table to kill some time and make some $$$.
Found an empty $15 table and played heads-up against the dealer for about 45 minutes and won $200. Went back to check on the poker room and there were3 guys waiting to play. I hung around for about 10 minutes and two more players arrived, so we got a game going shortly after 11. I bought in for $100, won a couple of hands early and was just playing solid poker for about 3 hours. No huge pots, but built my stack up to $175 or so.
There was a mouthy guy from New York sitting on my right and he was obnoxious with a Capital O!!
He and another player split a $200 pot when they both had J-10 and hit full houses. Both had each put about half of the cash in the pot and basically got their money back. But the NY guy just wouldn't quit whining about how he felt he should have taken the pot. His bad luck, etc. And then he got into an argument with a guy from Texas over which state had the most money, Texas or New York.
"Effing Wall Street has more money than all of Texas, combined," said the Loudmouth. He went on that rant several times before the dealer finally asked him to tone it down. The Texan was very patient and the issue died down.
Then I got dealt a K-Q of spades and when a guy bet $10, I called, along with one other player. Flop comes K of hearts, J of spades, 10 of diamonds. Gives me top pair of K, plus 3 big spades. Original bettor bets $35 and I think about what he might have. A-Q would give him a straight or he could have A-A. But he only bet 10 before the flop, so I put him on a smaller pair, maybe 9-9. And I do have an open end straight draw and top pair, so I decide to shove in my whole stack....All in.
I get called by both other guys! The pot is more than $500 when the turn card comes...Queen of hearts...giving me two pair- kings and queens. River card is a harmless 3 of clubs. We show our cards and my two pair is beaten by the original better who had Q-Q and hit trips on the flop. The other guy had A-9 of hearts and missed his flush draw on the river.
So left poker with a 100 loss and went back to bj where I played for about an hour, winning another $260 before calling it a day and driving home.
Helen spent her day catching up on some of her favorite shows via On Demand. She also talked and texted with family and friends, plus got our laundry done. She had a lot of energy and it was a good day for her MS-wise. Dinner was middle eastern food. After a little TV, it was time to sleep.
Up early Sunday to get a good seat at the Red Rock sports book for NFL action. I got over there about 9 a.m. for the 10 a.m. games and the place was already packed. Not a seat to be had! And there had to be about 30 people standing in the betting line. So I picked out a few parlays and teasers before joining the others in line. Here's what I bet:
A $25 "Ties Win" parlay of Lions -6, Vikings Pick 'Em, Dolphins -2 and Raiders -6. If Oakland can win by a TD, this one pays $250. Thought this one was lost when Miami trailed 10-0 late in the 4th quarter, but Miami pulled it out.
A $25 teaser of Titans +8, Bills +8, Cowboys -2, Steelers -3and Seahawks -1. WINNER pays $125.
A $50 mega-teaser of Bills +11, Steelers Pick em, Patriots -5 and Seahawks +2. WINNER pays $100.
And I have a $25 teaser played at Paris that I played last Thursday of CAROLINA/NEW ORLEANS UNDER58, MSU +30, Dolphins+7, Patriots -5, Seahawks +2 and Raiders +2. This one will pay $87.50 if the Raiders come through
This shapes up as one of my best FB weeks in a LONG time, especially if the Raiders can Win big!!
Since I couldn't get a seat at the sports book, I stood and watched the first half of the early games and soaked up the excitement that is so vibrant at a Vegas Sports Book on an NFL Sunday. You have people cheering on every play with every game on the huge screens to make viewing such a treat. Every turnover has someone cheering and someone else groaning! Every TD triggers the same cheers and jeers! Lots of fun.
But at halftime, I wandered over to the BJ tables and found one where I could watch two NFL games on nearby TVs. I watched the Cowboys game and the Miami game while keeping an eye on my BJ cards. Luckily I had a nice hot streak in BJ and posted a $330 profit in just over an hour. The early games were ending and took home some Chinese food for dinner -orange chicken, fried rice and steamed veggies.
At home, Helen was watching a movie, so I logged on to check out my fantasy football teams. Won my game in one league and was leading in the other until last night when my foe got 3 tds from Washington QB. So tonight I trailed by 9 points, but have two Raider receivers and their kicker going for me. I am favored and hope to win. It's been a good fantasy season for me...first place in both leagues.
And so our LV adventure continues...
So on Saturday I visited Ballys with two thoughts in mind - play some poker and log a few hours toward the weekly free roll tourney on Thursday night. Got down there about 10a.m hoping there would be an overnight game with a lot of bleary-eyed players from the night before. But, the poker room was dead. No game, so I looked for a blackjack table to kill some time and make some $$$.
Found an empty $15 table and played heads-up against the dealer for about 45 minutes and won $200. Went back to check on the poker room and there were3 guys waiting to play. I hung around for about 10 minutes and two more players arrived, so we got a game going shortly after 11. I bought in for $100, won a couple of hands early and was just playing solid poker for about 3 hours. No huge pots, but built my stack up to $175 or so.
There was a mouthy guy from New York sitting on my right and he was obnoxious with a Capital O!!
He and another player split a $200 pot when they both had J-10 and hit full houses. Both had each put about half of the cash in the pot and basically got their money back. But the NY guy just wouldn't quit whining about how he felt he should have taken the pot. His bad luck, etc. And then he got into an argument with a guy from Texas over which state had the most money, Texas or New York.
"Effing Wall Street has more money than all of Texas, combined," said the Loudmouth. He went on that rant several times before the dealer finally asked him to tone it down. The Texan was very patient and the issue died down.
Then I got dealt a K-Q of spades and when a guy bet $10, I called, along with one other player. Flop comes K of hearts, J of spades, 10 of diamonds. Gives me top pair of K, plus 3 big spades. Original bettor bets $35 and I think about what he might have. A-Q would give him a straight or he could have A-A. But he only bet 10 before the flop, so I put him on a smaller pair, maybe 9-9. And I do have an open end straight draw and top pair, so I decide to shove in my whole stack....All in.
I get called by both other guys! The pot is more than $500 when the turn card comes...Queen of hearts...giving me two pair- kings and queens. River card is a harmless 3 of clubs. We show our cards and my two pair is beaten by the original better who had Q-Q and hit trips on the flop. The other guy had A-9 of hearts and missed his flush draw on the river.
So left poker with a 100 loss and went back to bj where I played for about an hour, winning another $260 before calling it a day and driving home.
Helen spent her day catching up on some of her favorite shows via On Demand. She also talked and texted with family and friends, plus got our laundry done. She had a lot of energy and it was a good day for her MS-wise. Dinner was middle eastern food. After a little TV, it was time to sleep.
Up early Sunday to get a good seat at the Red Rock sports book for NFL action. I got over there about 9 a.m. for the 10 a.m. games and the place was already packed. Not a seat to be had! And there had to be about 30 people standing in the betting line. So I picked out a few parlays and teasers before joining the others in line. Here's what I bet:
A $25 "Ties Win" parlay of Lions -6, Vikings Pick 'Em, Dolphins -2 and Raiders -6. If Oakland can win by a TD, this one pays $250. Thought this one was lost when Miami trailed 10-0 late in the 4th quarter, but Miami pulled it out.
A $25 teaser of Titans +8, Bills +8, Cowboys -2, Steelers -3and Seahawks -1. WINNER pays $125.
A $50 mega-teaser of Bills +11, Steelers Pick em, Patriots -5 and Seahawks +2. WINNER pays $100.
And I have a $25 teaser played at Paris that I played last Thursday of CAROLINA/NEW ORLEANS UNDER58, MSU +30, Dolphins+7, Patriots -5, Seahawks +2 and Raiders +2. This one will pay $87.50 if the Raiders come through
This shapes up as one of my best FB weeks in a LONG time, especially if the Raiders can Win big!!
Since I couldn't get a seat at the sports book, I stood and watched the first half of the early games and soaked up the excitement that is so vibrant at a Vegas Sports Book on an NFL Sunday. You have people cheering on every play with every game on the huge screens to make viewing such a treat. Every turnover has someone cheering and someone else groaning! Every TD triggers the same cheers and jeers! Lots of fun.
But at halftime, I wandered over to the BJ tables and found one where I could watch two NFL games on nearby TVs. I watched the Cowboys game and the Miami game while keeping an eye on my BJ cards. Luckily I had a nice hot streak in BJ and posted a $330 profit in just over an hour. The early games were ending and took home some Chinese food for dinner -orange chicken, fried rice and steamed veggies.
At home, Helen was watching a movie, so I logged on to check out my fantasy football teams. Won my game in one league and was leading in the other until last night when my foe got 3 tds from Washington QB. So tonight I trailed by 9 points, but have two Raider receivers and their kicker going for me. I am favored and hope to win. It's been a good fantasy season for me...first place in both leagues.
And so our LV adventure continues...
Saturday, November 19, 2016
College Basketball Championship Odds
With the college hoops season just starting, I thought it might be interesting to show the odds from Caesars Entertainment which handles the sports book numbers at all Caesars properties, including Ballys, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Paris and others. Here are a few of the favorites, plus MSU and U-M,
Duke 14/5
Kentucky 5-1
Kansas 13/2
Oregon 15/2
Villanova 10-1
Michigan State 14-1
North Carolina 15-1
Louisville 20/1
Arizona 20-1
Wisconsin 20-1
Syracuse 20-1
Gonzaga 40-1
Michigan 90-1
UNLV 500-1
Duke 14/5
Kentucky 5-1
Kansas 13/2
Oregon 15/2
Villanova 10-1
Michigan State 14-1
North Carolina 15-1
Louisville 20/1
Arizona 20-1
Wisconsin 20-1
Syracuse 20-1
Gonzaga 40-1
Michigan 90-1
UNLV 500-1
Friday, November 18, 2016
Strip Trip
Spent part of Thursday morning unpacking items and getting the apartment in living condition. It takes a few days to get everything in order and get all the groceries we need.
About 9:30 I drove down to the Strip, parking at Ballys and walking to Paris for my first blackjack session of the day. Played for about 45 minutes and ground out a profit of $207. Part of the time I played alone and for about 20 minutes I played with a Marine who was there to organize a Marine Ball at Paris. He was a 20-year veteran who said he'd stay in The Corps if he made SGT Major in his next promotion.
After pocketing my winnings, I went to the sports book and made a couple of fb bets, A Super Teaser of Carolina/NO under 58, MSU+30, Dolphins +7,Patriots-5, Seahawks +2 and Raiders +2. This one pays $87.50. The other one is a Money Line Parlay where the teams just have to win - Panthers, Chiefs, Giants, Cowboys and Dolphins. This one will pay $417.
Walked from Paris next door to Planet Hollywood where I played blackjack for about 2 hours. One big hand took place when I was up about $120 and was playing two hands at $40 each. I got a 7-3 on one hand and a 6-4 on the other when the dealer showed a 5. I had to double down on both hands, getting a 7 on the first and a 10 on the second. The dealer flipped his hole card, a Queen, then slapped a 7 on it for 22 and a nice $160 win!!!
I left PH with a profit of $277 and decided to run an errand at The Venetian. Drove down there and bought tickets to see Willie Nelson on Feb. 1. He's doing a limited run of only 5 shows and Helen and I will enjoy that one.
On the way home, I stopped by the Middle Eastern market that we like and picked up dinner - hummus, feta cheese, tabouli, lebne, Kalamata olives and fresh pita bread. That was dinner.
While I was gone, Helen was really busy, washing all the dishes and kitchen utensils that had been packed away and dusty. She really overdid it a bit and was tired after hours of work. She also was texting and talking with family and friends. After dinner we watched some TV and called it a day.
And today our adventure continues...
About 9:30 I drove down to the Strip, parking at Ballys and walking to Paris for my first blackjack session of the day. Played for about 45 minutes and ground out a profit of $207. Part of the time I played alone and for about 20 minutes I played with a Marine who was there to organize a Marine Ball at Paris. He was a 20-year veteran who said he'd stay in The Corps if he made SGT Major in his next promotion.
After pocketing my winnings, I went to the sports book and made a couple of fb bets, A Super Teaser of Carolina/NO under 58, MSU+30, Dolphins +7,Patriots-5, Seahawks +2 and Raiders +2. This one pays $87.50. The other one is a Money Line Parlay where the teams just have to win - Panthers, Chiefs, Giants, Cowboys and Dolphins. This one will pay $417.
Walked from Paris next door to Planet Hollywood where I played blackjack for about 2 hours. One big hand took place when I was up about $120 and was playing two hands at $40 each. I got a 7-3 on one hand and a 6-4 on the other when the dealer showed a 5. I had to double down on both hands, getting a 7 on the first and a 10 on the second. The dealer flipped his hole card, a Queen, then slapped a 7 on it for 22 and a nice $160 win!!!
I left PH with a profit of $277 and decided to run an errand at The Venetian. Drove down there and bought tickets to see Willie Nelson on Feb. 1. He's doing a limited run of only 5 shows and Helen and I will enjoy that one.
On the way home, I stopped by the Middle Eastern market that we like and picked up dinner - hummus, feta cheese, tabouli, lebne, Kalamata olives and fresh pita bread. That was dinner.
While I was gone, Helen was really busy, washing all the dishes and kitchen utensils that had been packed away and dusty. She really overdid it a bit and was tired after hours of work. She also was texting and talking with family and friends. After dinner we watched some TV and called it a day.
And today our adventure continues...
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Settled in...FINALLY!
We're finally settled in to our apartment in LV, but it wasn't quite as smooth as it could have been!
To catch up on our adventures, we left Traverse City at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10. Made our way through the morning darkness and were excited as we headed south. Some 12 hours later we stopped for the night at a Hampton Inn in Lebanon Missouri. After the long drive, we were happy that we packed couple of Gobbler sandwiches from Mary's Kitchen Port and we enjoyed them for dinner in our room.
On Friday we hit the road again about 6 and rolled through Oklahoma and into the Texas panhandle before stopping for the night in Amarillo. The travel was flawless and we made great time with speed limits of 75 and 80 through OK and Texas. We stayed at Comfort Inn that was undergoing some upgrades, but we had a good night's rest before taking off on Saturday, bound for Flagstaff, AZ.
I had calculated that we'd get to Flag about 5 p.m. and we expected to spend the night there, but we must have made great time (or I miscalculated) and we got there shortly before 1 p.m. Helen suggested we just drive on to Vegas, about 4 hours, and I was in complete agreement. She also suggested I call the Red Rock hotel/casino. I had made us reservations there for Sunday and Monday nights and she thought they might be able to add Saturday at no problem.
But when I called I learned the only rooms available would be $250 a night even though our Sunday/Monday nights were only$69 each, so we opted for Plan B. I called Bally's and because of my Diamond Player status I got a FREE room, totally comped overlooking the Strip. We got there about 5 and settled into a great refurbished room on the 5th floor. Dinner was a couple of salads at the Nosh deli - Helen had a Greek salad, while I opted for Chicken Caesar. Then she rested in the room, while I played some blackjack, winning $40.
One sidenote about hotels and their rates -- we paid roughly $135 and $145 for our nights in Lebanon Missouri and Amarillo Texas. These were Hampton Inn and Comfort Inns, nice enough, but not deluxe accomodations. I got us two nights at the RED ROCK for $155 in total! OK, rant over!
On Sunday we drove out to Red Rock and checked into a STUNNING room on the 8th floor. Even though I had played there hundreds of times, this was our first time staying there and it was very nice. Our room had some cool amenities, including a TV screen built right into the expansive bathroom mirror. Very nice watching ESPN while doing the morning bathroom ritual!
Helen settled in while I went down to play bj and poker. I had two great blackjack sessions, winning 930 before taking a break and going up to check on Helen. No HUGE hands, just a steady compiling of wins. It was Sunday and I had 4 football parlays & teasers of $20 each. They all lost, thanks to 3 underachievers - Packers, Patriots and Chiefs!
After the games ended, I posted another $733 profit during a bj session. Again no huge hands, but steady wins. So for the day I did almost $1600...pretty sweet start to the trip!
Monday was our last day there and we had some errands to take care of. Gassed up the car and washed off the dead bugs and grime from some 2,300 miles on the road. I talked with the movers who confirmed our move on Tuesday at 8 a.m. Visited the local Cox Cable store and arranged for service to hook up our TV & internet. Also stopped by the apartment and let them know we were in town and would be there at 9a.m. sharp on Tuesday to get the keys. Still found time to play some bj and poker at Red Rock.
Key hand took place in Poker. I was dealt A-Q, both hearts and bet $15, getting two callers. Flop comes 7 and 9 of clubs, and the Q of Spades. I had top pair with an Ace kicker. A guy bet $30 and the other guy called. I knew my move and made it ...All in For $240, not expecting either of the others to call. I figured I had the best hand with the Queens and Ace Kicker and didn't want to let either of the guys hit a straight or flush without paying for it. Both had about $250 or so in chips, so they would be betting almost their whole stack.
Sure enough, they both hemmed and hawed, then shoved in their chips. We all showed our hands...one guy had A-King, both clubs. The other had J-10, both clubs. THEY WERE BOTH DRAWING TO A FLUSH! Turn came a 3of hearts and the river was a beautiful 2 of spades!
My queens won and the dealer shoved the pot of almost $700 in my direction!!
I ended poker with a win of $630, but had two losses in bj of $120 and $50 on Monday night.
We left Red Rock shortly after 7 on Tuesday morning and met the movers at 8. The got our belongings out of storage and we got to the apartment just before 9, so we had to wait a while to get the keys.
While getting the keys, the complex maintenance guy came up and apologized about the carpets. I didn't know what he was talking about, but it turns out the carpets had not been cleaned and were pretty dingy. They had carpet cleaners coming, so our movers brought in our furniture and boxes and stacked it all in non-carpeted parts of the apartment - the kitchen, bathroom and out on the small veranda. The only items in the carpeted areas were the bed, futon and dining room table. Just as the movers were leaving, the carpet guys were showing up, just after 10 a.m.
It was stressful and I complained to management. The assistant manager of the complex, Jose, apologized profusely for the carpet mixup and gave us a $200 credit toward our Dec. rent, so that was a nice gesture.
While the carpet cleaners were there, Helen and I left and killed some time, then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, El Burrito, where we enjoyed a lunch special. We both had a chicken & guacamole burrito, rice and beans, a tasty bowl of pasta & veggie soup and beverage for only $10. Then it was back to the apartment where the carpet cleaners were done, but the floor was a bit damp. It dried quickly, then Cox came and got our technology online about 4 p.m.
It was a long day moving in and we still have lots to unpack. I need to get groceries, with COFFEE at the top of the shopping list! And so our LV adventure continues!!
To catch up on our adventures, we left Traverse City at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10. Made our way through the morning darkness and were excited as we headed south. Some 12 hours later we stopped for the night at a Hampton Inn in Lebanon Missouri. After the long drive, we were happy that we packed couple of Gobbler sandwiches from Mary's Kitchen Port and we enjoyed them for dinner in our room.
On Friday we hit the road again about 6 and rolled through Oklahoma and into the Texas panhandle before stopping for the night in Amarillo. The travel was flawless and we made great time with speed limits of 75 and 80 through OK and Texas. We stayed at Comfort Inn that was undergoing some upgrades, but we had a good night's rest before taking off on Saturday, bound for Flagstaff, AZ.
I had calculated that we'd get to Flag about 5 p.m. and we expected to spend the night there, but we must have made great time (or I miscalculated) and we got there shortly before 1 p.m. Helen suggested we just drive on to Vegas, about 4 hours, and I was in complete agreement. She also suggested I call the Red Rock hotel/casino. I had made us reservations there for Sunday and Monday nights and she thought they might be able to add Saturday at no problem.
But when I called I learned the only rooms available would be $250 a night even though our Sunday/Monday nights were only$69 each, so we opted for Plan B. I called Bally's and because of my Diamond Player status I got a FREE room, totally comped overlooking the Strip. We got there about 5 and settled into a great refurbished room on the 5th floor. Dinner was a couple of salads at the Nosh deli - Helen had a Greek salad, while I opted for Chicken Caesar. Then she rested in the room, while I played some blackjack, winning $40.
One sidenote about hotels and their rates -- we paid roughly $135 and $145 for our nights in Lebanon Missouri and Amarillo Texas. These were Hampton Inn and Comfort Inns, nice enough, but not deluxe accomodations. I got us two nights at the RED ROCK for $155 in total! OK, rant over!
On Sunday we drove out to Red Rock and checked into a STUNNING room on the 8th floor. Even though I had played there hundreds of times, this was our first time staying there and it was very nice. Our room had some cool amenities, including a TV screen built right into the expansive bathroom mirror. Very nice watching ESPN while doing the morning bathroom ritual!
Helen settled in while I went down to play bj and poker. I had two great blackjack sessions, winning 930 before taking a break and going up to check on Helen. No HUGE hands, just a steady compiling of wins. It was Sunday and I had 4 football parlays & teasers of $20 each. They all lost, thanks to 3 underachievers - Packers, Patriots and Chiefs!
After the games ended, I posted another $733 profit during a bj session. Again no huge hands, but steady wins. So for the day I did almost $1600...pretty sweet start to the trip!
Monday was our last day there and we had some errands to take care of. Gassed up the car and washed off the dead bugs and grime from some 2,300 miles on the road. I talked with the movers who confirmed our move on Tuesday at 8 a.m. Visited the local Cox Cable store and arranged for service to hook up our TV & internet. Also stopped by the apartment and let them know we were in town and would be there at 9a.m. sharp on Tuesday to get the keys. Still found time to play some bj and poker at Red Rock.
Key hand took place in Poker. I was dealt A-Q, both hearts and bet $15, getting two callers. Flop comes 7 and 9 of clubs, and the Q of Spades. I had top pair with an Ace kicker. A guy bet $30 and the other guy called. I knew my move and made it ...All in For $240, not expecting either of the others to call. I figured I had the best hand with the Queens and Ace Kicker and didn't want to let either of the guys hit a straight or flush without paying for it. Both had about $250 or so in chips, so they would be betting almost their whole stack.
Sure enough, they both hemmed and hawed, then shoved in their chips. We all showed our hands...one guy had A-King, both clubs. The other had J-10, both clubs. THEY WERE BOTH DRAWING TO A FLUSH! Turn came a 3of hearts and the river was a beautiful 2 of spades!
My queens won and the dealer shoved the pot of almost $700 in my direction!!
I ended poker with a win of $630, but had two losses in bj of $120 and $50 on Monday night.
We left Red Rock shortly after 7 on Tuesday morning and met the movers at 8. The got our belongings out of storage and we got to the apartment just before 9, so we had to wait a while to get the keys.
While getting the keys, the complex maintenance guy came up and apologized about the carpets. I didn't know what he was talking about, but it turns out the carpets had not been cleaned and were pretty dingy. They had carpet cleaners coming, so our movers brought in our furniture and boxes and stacked it all in non-carpeted parts of the apartment - the kitchen, bathroom and out on the small veranda. The only items in the carpeted areas were the bed, futon and dining room table. Just as the movers were leaving, the carpet guys were showing up, just after 10 a.m.
It was stressful and I complained to management. The assistant manager of the complex, Jose, apologized profusely for the carpet mixup and gave us a $200 credit toward our Dec. rent, so that was a nice gesture.
While the carpet cleaners were there, Helen and I left and killed some time, then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, El Burrito, where we enjoyed a lunch special. We both had a chicken & guacamole burrito, rice and beans, a tasty bowl of pasta & veggie soup and beverage for only $10. Then it was back to the apartment where the carpet cleaners were done, but the floor was a bit damp. It dried quickly, then Cox came and got our technology online about 4 p.m.
It was a long day moving in and we still have lots to unpack. I need to get groceries, with COFFEE at the top of the shopping list! And so our LV adventure continues!!
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