The Red Rock has posted seasonal win totals for all the MLB teams. Here's how they rank...
Cubs 96.5
Dodgers 94.5
Indians 93.5
Red Sox 92.5
Nationals 91.5
Astros 90.5
Mets 88.5
Giants 87.5
Mariners & Blue Jays 85.5
Rangers 84.5
TIGERS, Cardinals & Yankees 83.5
Pirates 82.5
Orioles 80.5
Angels & Rockies 79.5
D-Backs & Rays 78.5
Marlins & Royals 76.5
Twins & Braves 74.5
Athletics 73.5
Phillies 72.5
Reds & Brewers 70.5
White Sox 69.5
Padres 66.5
They also posted odds for winning each division. The Cubs and Indians are huge favorites a 1-7, meaning you have to bet 7 to win a buck! The Tigers are 5-1 to beat the Tribe for the A.L. Central.
Royals are 8-1, Chisox 15-1 and Twins 20-1.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Big Birthday Weekend
Helen and I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Paris because I was invited to play in a big blackjack tournament there.
We drove to the Strip on Friday afternoon and checked into our comped room on the 18th floor about 3 p.m. The room faced east, giving us a view of Ballys, the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino and, in the distance, the Thomas & Mack Arena where the Runnin' Rebels play basketball.
After checking in, Helen rested in the room for a while and I played a little blackjack, winning about $60 or so. I also registered for the tourney and was assigned to play in the first session at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
We had dinner Friday at Buca Di Beppo, an Italian eatery at Ballys. They have a great menu and we've eaten here several times over the past couple of years. We opted for a supreme pizza and split an order of canolis for dessert with coffee. A sweet way to end the day.
Saturday morning I went down to get us muffins and coffee for breakfast in our room. This was our usual morning routine, only the type of muffins changed. Blueberry and Banana nut were our favorites. Then I went down about 8:30 to get ready for the tourney, which was held in an area that held 14 tables, six players per table.
So there were 84 players in the first session with 3 other sessions planned for the day. If they were all full, that meant there would be 336 players and they paid the top 48 spots. Winner received$25,000 in playable coupons that could be used to win real chips, which could be cashed in. Even 48th place paid $2,000 in coupons.
Each player started with 1,000 in play chips. The rules called for us to play 20 hands of bj and at the end of 20hands, the top 2 players advanced to the next round on Sunday. I decided to start conservatively, betting 50 on the first hand while others bet 100 to 200. I was in the 4th seat, so I got to see what the 1st-3rd players bet before I placed my wager. The #1 seat was the big bettor, pushing in 200. The first hand the dealer made 21, taking all our bets.
On the 2nd bet, the #1 guy bet the rest of his chips, all 800 and won! I bet 25and also won. So play went on pretty even until the 6-7 hand when the #1 player, who had a healthy lead, bet 1,000 and got a blackjack! That gave him a HUGE lead and pretty much meant the rest of us were playing for 2nd place. At this point, there were 3 of us pretty close with 700-800 and two with only 100-200 in chips.
It stayed even until about the 14th hand when for some unknown reason, the #1 guy shoved all his chips into the betting square. This was a HUGE blunder! All he had to do was bet 25 a hand for the last 7hands and he was a sure winner. Anyway, he lost it all on one hand.
At hand 17 they do a count and I was 3rd, only 100 behind the chip leader. I won the last 3 hands and ended up after 20 hands AS THE CHIP LEADER - by 50 chips. So I advanced to the next round, again at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Since my tourney was over by 9:45, I went back to the room and told Helen all about the tourney. Then we walked over to Planet Hollywood to do some shopping at the Miracle Mile shops. I had earned two free buffets by playing at PH over the past week, so we decided to hit the buffet about 3 p.m. and make that our big meal of the day.It was a quiet time at the buffet and we had no line at all when we arrived. We checked out all the food before making our choices. Helen wanted middle eastern food, so I filled her plate with hummus, pita bread, grilled veggies, stuffed grape leaves and coucous salad. I had jerk chicken, chicken shwarma, grilled veggies, Caesar salad, pita bread and hummus. For dessert I had a piece of cherry pie and a raspberry tart (fruit's healthy right?) while Helen chose the same raspberry tart. Coffee finished the tasty meal.
A little more shopping and walking was required after all that food, so we again strolled the mall before heading back to Paris. We were both a bit tired, so we went to the room and watched some TV before calling it a night.
On Sunday after breakfast, I opened a custom birthday card that Helen made for me. She also gave me a pair of CDs - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Fats Domino. Two of our favorites that we didn't have in our musical library. Then I went to play in the tourney.
This time I was in the #1 seat and it wasn't lucky to start. For the first 5-6 hands I got no winners, having 13-17 and losing them all. My stack was dwindling and others were building their chips stacks. After hand 17, I was down to 150 in chips,while the top leaders were in the 1,200-1,500 range. It was hard to see how I could get to second place, but I got a bit of confidence when I bet all 150 and got a blackjack on hand 18, while everyone else lost their bets. That gave me $375. On hand 19, I again betting all 375 and won again.
Now I had 750 while the second place, a woman sitting next to me in the #2 seat, had only $1050.
With luck, I could pass her and move on. So on hand 20, I bet the whole $750. Two other guys in the 600-700 range also pushed in all their chips. I was thrilled when I got a 20 against the dealers 2 and felt like I might actually move on when she showed a queen in the hole. But she slapped a 9 on her 12 and cleared the table. My comeback was painfully thwarted. aaaaagh.
So I went back to the room to tell Helen about it and we decided to head out to celebrate my birthday. Got calls from Scott and Anna and my buddy Nick and it was great to hear from them. We decided to go over to Blondies, a sports bar at Planet Hollywood to watch Michigan State play Wisconsin. On the way, I stopped at the Paris sports book and bet $25 on the Spartans, plus a $25 parlay of MSU +3 and Monmouth -2.5.
We got there just before the game started at 1 p.m. and ordered a pair of hefty burgers along with a hefty basket of French fries. I opted for a Scottish red ale and we savored our meal as we watched the Spartans post a convincing win. It was a fun afternoon, made even better when Monmouth covered the spread too! I cashed both tickets for $137. Then it was back to Paris for a little sightseeing and back to the room to rest and watch "Victoria" on PBS.
On Monday we again enjoyed our muffin breakfast before checking out and heading back to our apartment. After getting unpacked and having lunch, I went over to Red Rock to check out the hoops action and play a little bj. I won $60 in blackjack and brought home a big turkey sandwich that we split for dinner. Talked with brother Bruce for a while. He's in Florida seeing several spring training Tiger games and visiting with friends.
And so our adventure continues...
We drove to the Strip on Friday afternoon and checked into our comped room on the 18th floor about 3 p.m. The room faced east, giving us a view of Ballys, the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino and, in the distance, the Thomas & Mack Arena where the Runnin' Rebels play basketball.
After checking in, Helen rested in the room for a while and I played a little blackjack, winning about $60 or so. I also registered for the tourney and was assigned to play in the first session at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
We had dinner Friday at Buca Di Beppo, an Italian eatery at Ballys. They have a great menu and we've eaten here several times over the past couple of years. We opted for a supreme pizza and split an order of canolis for dessert with coffee. A sweet way to end the day.
Saturday morning I went down to get us muffins and coffee for breakfast in our room. This was our usual morning routine, only the type of muffins changed. Blueberry and Banana nut were our favorites. Then I went down about 8:30 to get ready for the tourney, which was held in an area that held 14 tables, six players per table.
So there were 84 players in the first session with 3 other sessions planned for the day. If they were all full, that meant there would be 336 players and they paid the top 48 spots. Winner received$25,000 in playable coupons that could be used to win real chips, which could be cashed in. Even 48th place paid $2,000 in coupons.
Each player started with 1,000 in play chips. The rules called for us to play 20 hands of bj and at the end of 20hands, the top 2 players advanced to the next round on Sunday. I decided to start conservatively, betting 50 on the first hand while others bet 100 to 200. I was in the 4th seat, so I got to see what the 1st-3rd players bet before I placed my wager. The #1 seat was the big bettor, pushing in 200. The first hand the dealer made 21, taking all our bets.
On the 2nd bet, the #1 guy bet the rest of his chips, all 800 and won! I bet 25and also won. So play went on pretty even until the 6-7 hand when the #1 player, who had a healthy lead, bet 1,000 and got a blackjack! That gave him a HUGE lead and pretty much meant the rest of us were playing for 2nd place. At this point, there were 3 of us pretty close with 700-800 and two with only 100-200 in chips.
It stayed even until about the 14th hand when for some unknown reason, the #1 guy shoved all his chips into the betting square. This was a HUGE blunder! All he had to do was bet 25 a hand for the last 7hands and he was a sure winner. Anyway, he lost it all on one hand.
At hand 17 they do a count and I was 3rd, only 100 behind the chip leader. I won the last 3 hands and ended up after 20 hands AS THE CHIP LEADER - by 50 chips. So I advanced to the next round, again at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Since my tourney was over by 9:45, I went back to the room and told Helen all about the tourney. Then we walked over to Planet Hollywood to do some shopping at the Miracle Mile shops. I had earned two free buffets by playing at PH over the past week, so we decided to hit the buffet about 3 p.m. and make that our big meal of the day.It was a quiet time at the buffet and we had no line at all when we arrived. We checked out all the food before making our choices. Helen wanted middle eastern food, so I filled her plate with hummus, pita bread, grilled veggies, stuffed grape leaves and coucous salad. I had jerk chicken, chicken shwarma, grilled veggies, Caesar salad, pita bread and hummus. For dessert I had a piece of cherry pie and a raspberry tart (fruit's healthy right?) while Helen chose the same raspberry tart. Coffee finished the tasty meal.
A little more shopping and walking was required after all that food, so we again strolled the mall before heading back to Paris. We were both a bit tired, so we went to the room and watched some TV before calling it a night.
On Sunday after breakfast, I opened a custom birthday card that Helen made for me. She also gave me a pair of CDs - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Fats Domino. Two of our favorites that we didn't have in our musical library. Then I went to play in the tourney.
This time I was in the #1 seat and it wasn't lucky to start. For the first 5-6 hands I got no winners, having 13-17 and losing them all. My stack was dwindling and others were building their chips stacks. After hand 17, I was down to 150 in chips,while the top leaders were in the 1,200-1,500 range. It was hard to see how I could get to second place, but I got a bit of confidence when I bet all 150 and got a blackjack on hand 18, while everyone else lost their bets. That gave me $375. On hand 19, I again betting all 375 and won again.
Now I had 750 while the second place, a woman sitting next to me in the #2 seat, had only $1050.
With luck, I could pass her and move on. So on hand 20, I bet the whole $750. Two other guys in the 600-700 range also pushed in all their chips. I was thrilled when I got a 20 against the dealers 2 and felt like I might actually move on when she showed a queen in the hole. But she slapped a 9 on her 12 and cleared the table. My comeback was painfully thwarted. aaaaagh.
So I went back to the room to tell Helen about it and we decided to head out to celebrate my birthday. Got calls from Scott and Anna and my buddy Nick and it was great to hear from them. We decided to go over to Blondies, a sports bar at Planet Hollywood to watch Michigan State play Wisconsin. On the way, I stopped at the Paris sports book and bet $25 on the Spartans, plus a $25 parlay of MSU +3 and Monmouth -2.5.
We got there just before the game started at 1 p.m. and ordered a pair of hefty burgers along with a hefty basket of French fries. I opted for a Scottish red ale and we savored our meal as we watched the Spartans post a convincing win. It was a fun afternoon, made even better when Monmouth covered the spread too! I cashed both tickets for $137. Then it was back to Paris for a little sightseeing and back to the room to rest and watch "Victoria" on PBS.
On Monday we again enjoyed our muffin breakfast before checking out and heading back to our apartment. After getting unpacked and having lunch, I went over to Red Rock to check out the hoops action and play a little bj. I won $60 in blackjack and brought home a big turkey sandwich that we split for dinner. Talked with brother Bruce for a while. He's in Florida seeing several spring training Tiger games and visiting with friends.
And so our adventure continues...
Thursday, February 23, 2017
World Series Odds
Fresh off the press at the Red Rock Casino...
Cubs 3-1
Dodgers 9-2
Red Sox 5-1
Indians 6-1
Nationals 8-1
Astros 9-1
Giants 10-1
Mets 14-1
Rangers, Yankees 20-1
Tigers, Mariners 22-1
Cardinals, Blue Jays 25-1
Orioles 28-1
Angels 35-1
Rockies, Royals 40-1
Twins, Pirates 60-1
Braves, Diamondbacks 70-1
Marlins 80-1
White Sox, A's, Rays 100-1
Padres 200-1
Reds, Brewers 250-1
Favorites to win the pennants are:
Cubs 8-5
Dodgers 5-2
Nationals 4-1
Red Sox 5-2
Indians 3-1
Astros 5-1
Tigers are 12-1 to win the A.L. flag!.
Cubs 3-1
Dodgers 9-2
Red Sox 5-1
Indians 6-1
Nationals 8-1
Astros 9-1
Giants 10-1
Mets 14-1
Rangers, Yankees 20-1
Tigers, Mariners 22-1
Cardinals, Blue Jays 25-1
Orioles 28-1
Angels 35-1
Rockies, Royals 40-1
Twins, Pirates 60-1
Braves, Diamondbacks 70-1
Marlins 80-1
White Sox, A's, Rays 100-1
Padres 200-1
Reds, Brewers 250-1
Favorites to win the pennants are:
Cubs 8-5
Dodgers 5-2
Nationals 4-1
Red Sox 5-2
Indians 3-1
Astros 5-1
Tigers are 12-1 to win the A.L. flag!.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
NIght at the Movies
Helen and I had a dinner-and-a-movie date night on Wednesday.
She's been wanting to see "Lion" so we drove over to Red Rock to catch a 7 p.m. showing. Before the movie, we enjoyed a buffet dinner at Red Rock. Using a "buy-one, get one free" coupon we had received in the mail, we strolled into the buffet where the cashier told me we could use my points to pay for the meal. So it was a free dinner for us!
We checked out the buffet items and she opted for General Tsu Chicken, steamed veggies, pasta salad and a mushroom salad. I always fill Helen's plate for her at the buffet and got just what she requested. I piled my plate with fried chicken, breaded shrimp, green beans, steamed broccoli and salad. For dessert, she wanted something chocolate, so I got a piece of chocolate cake for her and I picked cherry pie with chocolate ice cream. It was a tasty meal!
The movie was interesting, but a bit too long. It went two hours and could have been 10-15 minutes shorter with tighter editing. It's the story of a boy from India who gets separated from his family, adopted to an Australian family and eventually returns to his Indian village to reunite with his mother. It'll probably win some awards.
Earlier in the day, I went to Planet Hollywood to play poker. I ended up losing $40 and that was sort of a success since - for the second day in a row - I lost my buy-in without minutes of taking a seat. This time I had A-A with about $90 in front of me. I bet $12 and got a single caller. The flop came K-9-2 of mixed suits. I bet $15, hoping the other guy had a king. He apparently did because he raised it to $40 and I quickly went all-in for the rest of my chips. He quickly called, showing A-K as I showed my A-A. His prayers were answered when a King hit the turn and I had to re-buy for another $100.
About an hour later, I had about $120 in front of me when I was dealt 2-3, both spades. Not a great hand, but I was hoping I might hit a tiny straight. And I was able to see a flop for only $2, so not much at risk. The flop came 2-2-7, giving me 3 deuces! I bet $5 and was called by 2 guys. The turn was a 3 - giving me a well-hidden FULL HOUSE! This time I checked it, giving one of the other guys a chance bet at the pot. And it worked - a guy bet $25,causing the other guy to fold. I hemmed and hawed, then just called, thinking that a raise might chase him out of the hand.
The river was a 10 and my foe bet $45. Again I stalled and looked as worried as I could before shoving in my last $80 or so. He called and mucked his cards when I showed my full house.
So I got back what I had lost earlier. And was happy to finish down only $40.
By playing for 3 hours, I also received a voucher for a free buffet at PH. If you use it for lunch it's a $20 value. But it's also good for dinner, a $33 value. Today I plan to get another one and we can use them this weekend when we stay at Paris, right next door to PH.
And so our adventure continues...
She's been wanting to see "Lion" so we drove over to Red Rock to catch a 7 p.m. showing. Before the movie, we enjoyed a buffet dinner at Red Rock. Using a "buy-one, get one free" coupon we had received in the mail, we strolled into the buffet where the cashier told me we could use my points to pay for the meal. So it was a free dinner for us!
We checked out the buffet items and she opted for General Tsu Chicken, steamed veggies, pasta salad and a mushroom salad. I always fill Helen's plate for her at the buffet and got just what she requested. I piled my plate with fried chicken, breaded shrimp, green beans, steamed broccoli and salad. For dessert, she wanted something chocolate, so I got a piece of chocolate cake for her and I picked cherry pie with chocolate ice cream. It was a tasty meal!
The movie was interesting, but a bit too long. It went two hours and could have been 10-15 minutes shorter with tighter editing. It's the story of a boy from India who gets separated from his family, adopted to an Australian family and eventually returns to his Indian village to reunite with his mother. It'll probably win some awards.
Earlier in the day, I went to Planet Hollywood to play poker. I ended up losing $40 and that was sort of a success since - for the second day in a row - I lost my buy-in without minutes of taking a seat. This time I had A-A with about $90 in front of me. I bet $12 and got a single caller. The flop came K-9-2 of mixed suits. I bet $15, hoping the other guy had a king. He apparently did because he raised it to $40 and I quickly went all-in for the rest of my chips. He quickly called, showing A-K as I showed my A-A. His prayers were answered when a King hit the turn and I had to re-buy for another $100.
About an hour later, I had about $120 in front of me when I was dealt 2-3, both spades. Not a great hand, but I was hoping I might hit a tiny straight. And I was able to see a flop for only $2, so not much at risk. The flop came 2-2-7, giving me 3 deuces! I bet $5 and was called by 2 guys. The turn was a 3 - giving me a well-hidden FULL HOUSE! This time I checked it, giving one of the other guys a chance bet at the pot. And it worked - a guy bet $25,causing the other guy to fold. I hemmed and hawed, then just called, thinking that a raise might chase him out of the hand.
The river was a 10 and my foe bet $45. Again I stalled and looked as worried as I could before shoving in my last $80 or so. He called and mucked his cards when I showed my full house.
So I got back what I had lost earlier. And was happy to finish down only $40.
By playing for 3 hours, I also received a voucher for a free buffet at PH. If you use it for lunch it's a $20 value. But it's also good for dinner, a $33 value. Today I plan to get another one and we can use them this weekend when we stay at Paris, right next door to PH.
And so our adventure continues...
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Catching Up
It's been faaaaaar too long since I last posted about our adventures, so it's time to catch up.
The highlight of the past week was the Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons concert that we saw on Saturday at the Palms.
The 82-year-old Valli was terrific! He sang all of the group's big hits and rarely took a break during the 90-minute show. Helen and I had sweet seats in the front row of the balcony. Because of her wheelchair, we have to choose handicapped accessible seats, which are usually in the back row of the main floor. But these front row seats in the Palms Pearl Theater gave us a great view.
Overall, though, the Palms is a dreary casino, a mere shadow of its former self. When it first opened the Palms was an upscale, airy and clean gaming center. Now it seems dingy and jammed with too many slot machines and few table games.
Before the show I played blackjack, winning $85. But during the 30 minutes I played, I was joined by 3 other players and NONE of them had a clue what they were doing. It was a two deck pitch game in which players hold the cards. Two of them didn't know how to hold the cards (one hand only on the cards) and one didn't know how to tuck the cards when he had a hand. One guy was so drunk he could hardly stay awake. He once stayed on A-4 - a total of Five!! Eventually the dealer urged him to take a break, a nice move on her part.
On Sunday, I called Caesar Entertainment to take advantage of an email offer I got last week. We'll be seeing Celine Dion on April 4, along with three nights at Ballys - ALL COMPED!
We check into a handicapped accessible room in Bally's Jubilee Tower on April 3 and will spend 3 nights there. A friend suggested I must be a high roller to get these deals. Not really a BIG bettor, but I do play consistently at Caesars Properties. For example, I play blackjack in the $10-$25 range. And play a TON of $1-2 Texas Hold 'em poker. The comps add up quickly and they add a LOT of fun to our winter visits here. As a result, I am a Diamond Level card holder, which gives me 2 free show tickets every month and other goodies.
Yesterday I played poker at Planet Hollywood (A Caesars Entertainment property) and ended up winning $80. But it was a struggle. I got a seat at the table about 9:30 a.m. and bought in for $100. On my second hand, I looked down to see A-J both of spades. I was determined to see a flop and was pretty pleased to see A-J-2 of mixed suits. FLOPPED TWO PAIR!
A guy bet $25 and everyone folded except me. I just called his bet, hoping he had an Ace with a King or Queen. The turn card was a 8 and my foe bet $30. I decided to go all in with my last $75. He quickly called and showed a pair of deuces for 3 of a kind. The river card was no help to me and in my first 5minutes at the table I was already down $100 and re-buying for another $100.
It was a real international table, with players from England, Germany and Africa. The 41-year-old German guy said he comes to Vegas every year to spend a solid week playing poker. No casinos in Germany? he was asked. Yes, he said, but they are very formal. You have to wear a tie and jacket and he doesn't like those rules.
Things got better and over the course of the next 3 hours I hit a couple of flushes and a straight to replenish my stack of chips. As I said, I ended up $80 ahead before heading home.
Helen was busy getting some birthday cards ready to send. Grandson Alan's birthday is Feb. 23 and brother Bruce's is March 3. She was also on the phone with Anna and sister-in-law Lorraine who is battling rain/flood issues in southern California. Their roof has been leaking and it's been hectic dealing with a roofing contractor who didn't solve their problem. Ah, the joys of home ownership. Makes our decision to rent seem pretty sweet!
On Friday we head to Paris for 3 nights (yep, comped) and I'll be playing in a blackjack tournament. Should be fun! And so our adventure continues...
On the 17th, I qualified for Ballys Free Roll poker tourney on March 2 by logging my 45th hour of play. I haven't had any big wins or losses over the past week.
The highlight of the past week was the Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons concert that we saw on Saturday at the Palms.
The 82-year-old Valli was terrific! He sang all of the group's big hits and rarely took a break during the 90-minute show. Helen and I had sweet seats in the front row of the balcony. Because of her wheelchair, we have to choose handicapped accessible seats, which are usually in the back row of the main floor. But these front row seats in the Palms Pearl Theater gave us a great view.
Overall, though, the Palms is a dreary casino, a mere shadow of its former self. When it first opened the Palms was an upscale, airy and clean gaming center. Now it seems dingy and jammed with too many slot machines and few table games.
Before the show I played blackjack, winning $85. But during the 30 minutes I played, I was joined by 3 other players and NONE of them had a clue what they were doing. It was a two deck pitch game in which players hold the cards. Two of them didn't know how to hold the cards (one hand only on the cards) and one didn't know how to tuck the cards when he had a hand. One guy was so drunk he could hardly stay awake. He once stayed on A-4 - a total of Five!! Eventually the dealer urged him to take a break, a nice move on her part.
On Sunday, I called Caesar Entertainment to take advantage of an email offer I got last week. We'll be seeing Celine Dion on April 4, along with three nights at Ballys - ALL COMPED!
We check into a handicapped accessible room in Bally's Jubilee Tower on April 3 and will spend 3 nights there. A friend suggested I must be a high roller to get these deals. Not really a BIG bettor, but I do play consistently at Caesars Properties. For example, I play blackjack in the $10-$25 range. And play a TON of $1-2 Texas Hold 'em poker. The comps add up quickly and they add a LOT of fun to our winter visits here. As a result, I am a Diamond Level card holder, which gives me 2 free show tickets every month and other goodies.
Yesterday I played poker at Planet Hollywood (A Caesars Entertainment property) and ended up winning $80. But it was a struggle. I got a seat at the table about 9:30 a.m. and bought in for $100. On my second hand, I looked down to see A-J both of spades. I was determined to see a flop and was pretty pleased to see A-J-2 of mixed suits. FLOPPED TWO PAIR!
A guy bet $25 and everyone folded except me. I just called his bet, hoping he had an Ace with a King or Queen. The turn card was a 8 and my foe bet $30. I decided to go all in with my last $75. He quickly called and showed a pair of deuces for 3 of a kind. The river card was no help to me and in my first 5minutes at the table I was already down $100 and re-buying for another $100.
It was a real international table, with players from England, Germany and Africa. The 41-year-old German guy said he comes to Vegas every year to spend a solid week playing poker. No casinos in Germany? he was asked. Yes, he said, but they are very formal. You have to wear a tie and jacket and he doesn't like those rules.
Things got better and over the course of the next 3 hours I hit a couple of flushes and a straight to replenish my stack of chips. As I said, I ended up $80 ahead before heading home.
Helen was busy getting some birthday cards ready to send. Grandson Alan's birthday is Feb. 23 and brother Bruce's is March 3. She was also on the phone with Anna and sister-in-law Lorraine who is battling rain/flood issues in southern California. Their roof has been leaking and it's been hectic dealing with a roofing contractor who didn't solve their problem. Ah, the joys of home ownership. Makes our decision to rent seem pretty sweet!
On Friday we head to Paris for 3 nights (yep, comped) and I'll be playing in a blackjack tournament. Should be fun! And so our adventure continues...
On the 17th, I qualified for Ballys Free Roll poker tourney on March 2 by logging my 45th hour of play. I haven't had any big wins or losses over the past week.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
It's a Straight. It's a Flush. It's a Straight Flush!
Trying to compile hours for the free roll poker tourney, Saturday found me once again at Ballys.
I had been there about an hour when I was involved in a memorable hand. I was the big blind and put in my $2 before looking down to see 2-4, both diamonds. If anyone raised, I would ditch these two, but no one raised, so I got to see the flop, which came 5-6-8 - ALL DIAMONDS!
I had flopped a flush! A tourist at the other end of the table bet $25 and everyone folded except me. I just called, a risky move since he could have had a big diamond, and if another diamond hit the board he'd have a bigger flush. The turn card was another 6 and my foe bet $35.
I decided it was time to get aggressive and went ALL IN - pushing my final $130 over the betting line. Without hesitation my foe called and flipped over his cards shouting "full house." He had a 5-6 and hit two pair on the flop and the full house on the turn.
Aaargh. I was a sure loser, having only a LOOOOOONG shot. If the 3 or 7 of diamonds hit on the river, I would have a straight flush. But the odds are soooooo against it. The dealer was Frank, a native Detroiter who I've talked to a lot in the past about both of us going to Wayne State. He turned the river card and slapped it into its place
7 OF DIAMONDS!!!!!!
My straight flush took down this huge pot, worth almost $500. And for hitting the straight flush, I collected another $100 bonus from Ballys. A sweet win! I played for 3 hours, winning $370 and left to watch some basketball. Then I played a little blackjack, winning another $125 before heading home.
I've had a great poker run recently at Ballys. My records show that since Feb. 1, I have played 6 sessions there, winning just over $1,800. I've won each of the 6 sessions with profits ranging from $200 to $425. I don't include the $512 I got from the Feb. 2 tourney, since we didn't really play the tournament. Each of the 40 who qualified were given $512, so I didn't count that. It's been a great run!
When I arrived home, Helen was on the phone with her cousin Gail who lives in Chicago. She had also been talking with her sister Susan and other family while I was gone. I made a quick dinner of chicken salad wraps and we watched some TV before calling it a night.
And so our adventure continues...
I had been there about an hour when I was involved in a memorable hand. I was the big blind and put in my $2 before looking down to see 2-4, both diamonds. If anyone raised, I would ditch these two, but no one raised, so I got to see the flop, which came 5-6-8 - ALL DIAMONDS!
I had flopped a flush! A tourist at the other end of the table bet $25 and everyone folded except me. I just called, a risky move since he could have had a big diamond, and if another diamond hit the board he'd have a bigger flush. The turn card was another 6 and my foe bet $35.
I decided it was time to get aggressive and went ALL IN - pushing my final $130 over the betting line. Without hesitation my foe called and flipped over his cards shouting "full house." He had a 5-6 and hit two pair on the flop and the full house on the turn.
Aaargh. I was a sure loser, having only a LOOOOOONG shot. If the 3 or 7 of diamonds hit on the river, I would have a straight flush. But the odds are soooooo against it. The dealer was Frank, a native Detroiter who I've talked to a lot in the past about both of us going to Wayne State. He turned the river card and slapped it into its place
7 OF DIAMONDS!!!!!!
My straight flush took down this huge pot, worth almost $500. And for hitting the straight flush, I collected another $100 bonus from Ballys. A sweet win! I played for 3 hours, winning $370 and left to watch some basketball. Then I played a little blackjack, winning another $125 before heading home.
I've had a great poker run recently at Ballys. My records show that since Feb. 1, I have played 6 sessions there, winning just over $1,800. I've won each of the 6 sessions with profits ranging from $200 to $425. I don't include the $512 I got from the Feb. 2 tourney, since we didn't really play the tournament. Each of the 40 who qualified were given $512, so I didn't count that. It's been a great run!
When I arrived home, Helen was on the phone with her cousin Gail who lives in Chicago. She had also been talking with her sister Susan and other family while I was gone. I made a quick dinner of chicken salad wraps and we watched some TV before calling it a night.
And so our adventure continues...
Friday, February 10, 2017
Felting Leo
Thursday morning found me back at the Ballys poker room logging some hours toward the March 2 free roll tourney.
I arrived shortly after 9 a.m., bought in for $100 and was lucky to get an open seat right away. Success came early and on my second hand I looked down to find A-A staring back at me. I took down a $50 pot and was off and running. After almost two hours my stack had grown to almost $300, thanks to a series of good hands. I hit a couple of straights and a full house during the streak.
A couple of those good hands took the chips from Leo, one of the Ballys regulars that I've played with several times this winter. He's a retiree and is usually pretty quiet. We've never really talked, but he seems like a good enough guy....until today. Leo sat at the opposite end of the table from me and would mutter little things about how lucky I was to win against him. Twice the day before I had taken the last of his chips. In poker parlance, that's called "felting" since I left him with nothing but the felt in front of him. Both times he had only $30 or $40 in chips when he lost them all to me.
So I was pretty confident playing against him when I was dealt K-5, both spades. I called the $2 blind and was pretty pleased when the flop came K-6-5. I'd hit two pair and bet $20, hoping to get at least one caller who might have an A-K or K-Q. After two other guys folded, Leo raised it to $40 and I was the only caller. It was mano-a-mano between us.
The turn card was the 4 of spades, giving me four spades K-high, plus the two pair. I bet another $20 and Leo didn't hesitate before shoving his last $200 or so into the pot. What could he have, I wondered. Hoping he had A-K, I called. Leo smugly flipped over his pocket 6s, giving him three-of-a-kind.
Basically I was in trouble. With only the river card remaining, I needed a spade that didn't pair the board to give me a flush or one of the two remaining kings. A pot of more than $500 hung on the turn of the river card.... A KING!
Leo fumed quietly for a few seconds, then erupted with a verbal tirade. "How can you play K-5. How can you play K-5," he repeated several times. I just smiled and stacked my chips. Once again, Leo had been felted!
A couple of minutes later, a player who was sitting next to Leo got up to cash his chips. On his way to the cashier, he stopped behind me and tapped my shoulder. "You've really gotten into his head," he whispered to me. "He's on tilt, big-time. He's so upset, he can't even look at you!"
I left the game after 3 hours with a profit of $425. Stopped at the Albertson's grocery store and picked up a few things. I made chicken salad sandwiches for us for dinner and shared my profits with Helen, who spent the day relaxing and talking with Anna.
And so our adventure continues...
I arrived shortly after 9 a.m., bought in for $100 and was lucky to get an open seat right away. Success came early and on my second hand I looked down to find A-A staring back at me. I took down a $50 pot and was off and running. After almost two hours my stack had grown to almost $300, thanks to a series of good hands. I hit a couple of straights and a full house during the streak.
A couple of those good hands took the chips from Leo, one of the Ballys regulars that I've played with several times this winter. He's a retiree and is usually pretty quiet. We've never really talked, but he seems like a good enough guy....until today. Leo sat at the opposite end of the table from me and would mutter little things about how lucky I was to win against him. Twice the day before I had taken the last of his chips. In poker parlance, that's called "felting" since I left him with nothing but the felt in front of him. Both times he had only $30 or $40 in chips when he lost them all to me.
So I was pretty confident playing against him when I was dealt K-5, both spades. I called the $2 blind and was pretty pleased when the flop came K-6-5. I'd hit two pair and bet $20, hoping to get at least one caller who might have an A-K or K-Q. After two other guys folded, Leo raised it to $40 and I was the only caller. It was mano-a-mano between us.
The turn card was the 4 of spades, giving me four spades K-high, plus the two pair. I bet another $20 and Leo didn't hesitate before shoving his last $200 or so into the pot. What could he have, I wondered. Hoping he had A-K, I called. Leo smugly flipped over his pocket 6s, giving him three-of-a-kind.
Basically I was in trouble. With only the river card remaining, I needed a spade that didn't pair the board to give me a flush or one of the two remaining kings. A pot of more than $500 hung on the turn of the river card.... A KING!
Leo fumed quietly for a few seconds, then erupted with a verbal tirade. "How can you play K-5. How can you play K-5," he repeated several times. I just smiled and stacked my chips. Once again, Leo had been felted!
A couple of minutes later, a player who was sitting next to Leo got up to cash his chips. On his way to the cashier, he stopped behind me and tapped my shoulder. "You've really gotten into his head," he whispered to me. "He's on tilt, big-time. He's so upset, he can't even look at you!"
I left the game after 3 hours with a profit of $425. Stopped at the Albertson's grocery store and picked up a few things. I made chicken salad sandwiches for us for dinner and shared my profits with Helen, who spent the day relaxing and talking with Anna.
And so our adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Back to Poker at Ballys
Returned to Ballys poker room yesterday to log some time toward the free roll tourney set for March 2.
Got down there about 9:30 and immediately saw something troubling. The Ballys parking deck is undergoing some work, including the installation of new gates. Like many other LV Strip casinos, Ballys will soon begin CHARGING FOR PARKING!
Don't know the details, including costs, etc, but I hope some of us regulars will be able to get our fees waived. A dealer told me that Diamond level players, like me, will get free parking. I hope he's right.
Anyway, I got to the poker room and didn't get a seat until about 10:15. Bought in for $100 and won a couple of pots in the first 30 minutes. My stack was roughly $140 when I looked down and found 9-9, a decent playable pair. There were four of us in the hand to see the flop - A-K-9 of mixed suits.
This is a SWEET flop for me and I hoped at least 1 or 2 of my opponents had an ace or a king.
One guy bet $25 and I was the only caller. I hemmed and hawed, stalling a bit before calling so he'd think I had a marginal hand or was hoping to hit a straight. Things got way better for me when the turn card was.....THE FOURTH NINE!
I checked my hand and the guy bet $30. Again I just called. The river card was another King and I hoped it helped his hand. He bet another $30 and after stalling again, I raised it to $90. Now it was his turn to stall and think....finally he shoved another $60 into the pot, calling me. I showed the quad nines and the table erupted when he showed his A-K, a powerful full house!
In addition to the healthy pot, I also got a $50 bonus from the house for having four-of-a-kind. That hand was the highlight of my poker session. I played for five hours and walked with a profit of $251.
After leaving the poker room, I stopped by the Paris sports book and put $25 on MSU +4.5 against Michigan. That was an ugly game and I was once again betrayed by that Spartan hoops team. One game they look great, then they look so ugly.
Stopped at a Paris eatery and picked up two chef salads for dinner. The $19 bill was comped. Love us some free food! While I was gone, Helen had a shipment of her MS medicine arrive. Always a relief to get that shipment on time and without any issues.
Today I plan to play more poker, logging hours toward the free roll and running up my comp balance. And so our adventure continues...
Got down there about 9:30 and immediately saw something troubling. The Ballys parking deck is undergoing some work, including the installation of new gates. Like many other LV Strip casinos, Ballys will soon begin CHARGING FOR PARKING!
Don't know the details, including costs, etc, but I hope some of us regulars will be able to get our fees waived. A dealer told me that Diamond level players, like me, will get free parking. I hope he's right.
Anyway, I got to the poker room and didn't get a seat until about 10:15. Bought in for $100 and won a couple of pots in the first 30 minutes. My stack was roughly $140 when I looked down and found 9-9, a decent playable pair. There were four of us in the hand to see the flop - A-K-9 of mixed suits.
This is a SWEET flop for me and I hoped at least 1 or 2 of my opponents had an ace or a king.
One guy bet $25 and I was the only caller. I hemmed and hawed, stalling a bit before calling so he'd think I had a marginal hand or was hoping to hit a straight. Things got way better for me when the turn card was.....THE FOURTH NINE!
I checked my hand and the guy bet $30. Again I just called. The river card was another King and I hoped it helped his hand. He bet another $30 and after stalling again, I raised it to $90. Now it was his turn to stall and think....finally he shoved another $60 into the pot, calling me. I showed the quad nines and the table erupted when he showed his A-K, a powerful full house!
In addition to the healthy pot, I also got a $50 bonus from the house for having four-of-a-kind. That hand was the highlight of my poker session. I played for five hours and walked with a profit of $251.
After leaving the poker room, I stopped by the Paris sports book and put $25 on MSU +4.5 against Michigan. That was an ugly game and I was once again betrayed by that Spartan hoops team. One game they look great, then they look so ugly.
Stopped at a Paris eatery and picked up two chef salads for dinner. The $19 bill was comped. Love us some free food! While I was gone, Helen had a shipment of her MS medicine arrive. Always a relief to get that shipment on time and without any issues.
Today I plan to play more poker, logging hours toward the free roll and running up my comp balance. And so our adventure continues...
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Super Bowl Weekend at The Venetian
Helen and I were both excited and curious about how our weekend would go when we drove down to the Venetian on Friday.
We left at 11 a.m. to meet my friend Claudine Grant for lunch at the Grand Lux Café at the Palazzo, the Venetian's sister property. I parked at the Venetian on the 7th floor. We refer to it as the "Rocky Colavito" floor. Naming the floor after ballplayers, usually Tigers, helps me remember where we parked. Sometimes it's on "Al Kaline" or "Hank Greenberg" or "Yogi Berra" or "Charlie Maxwell" but never "Mickey Lolich."
Claudine is PR manager at the Venetian, specializing in Restaurant and Entertainment PR. I met her two years ago at a Super Bowl Party and we've been facebook friends ever since. Helen had not met her before, but we had a great soup-and-salad lunch and it was a quick hour before Claudine had to get back to a meeting.
Helen and I checked into our handicapped access room on the 15th floor and it was very comfortable and easy for her to navigate in her wheelchair. It has sheer blinds and curtains that are opened/closed by a switch on the wall. And 3 TVs, including one in the bathroom. We looked forward to spending three nights - all comped - there in style!
After resting a bit, I went down to play some blackjack. I looked all over the gaming floor before settling into a less-than-desirable table. It was a $15 minimum bet and it only paid 6-5 for a blackjack. The only tables that paid 3-2 had minimum bets of $50 and $100, a little too high for me.
Despite the drawbacks, I had a good session, winning $350 in about an hour.
Then I took a break and strolled to the sports book where I bet $25 on CMU to win their hoops game against Western Michigan. CMU was a 3-point favorite, but they were playing at home and I figured they could handle the Broncos in this rivalry showdown, so I made the bet and left. I checked back at halftime and was stunned that WMU was topping CMU 53-40. Surely that game was lost and I went on a walk around the Venetian.
I checked back at the sports book with 10 minutes to play and CMU had whittled the lead down from 13 to 12 points. I sat down and suddenly CMU came alive, hitting a 3-pointer, then a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 5 with about 5 minutes left to play. The Chippewas actually took a one-point lead with 2 minutes left on the clock and I began to think I might win the wager!
They swapped baskets and the score was tied 81-81 when Central had the ball with 20 seconds to go. They passed it around and their star guard Marcus Keene nailed a 3-pointer with only 4 seconds on the clock. I figured I would get a push and get my money back. Pretty nice after trailing for 38 of the games 40 minutes!
WMU in-bounded the ball and in an attempt to steal the pass, CMU fouled a Bronco player who calmly nailed a free throw making the score 84-82 and turning my push into a loss. But he missed the second free throw and in a scramble for the loose ball, the Broncos fouled a CMU player who calmly went to the free throw line and nailed both shots. That made it 86-82, but 3 seconds still remained on the clock. WMU inbounded the ball and tried a halfcourt shot that, thankfully missed. My $25 bet returned $22.75 - a small but exciting victory!
By now it was about dinner time and Helen and I opted to check out the Venetian's food court instead of one of its upscale eateries. We settled on some Italian fare - I went for spaghetti and meatballs, while Helen had a tasty grilled panini. Then we went back to the room for the night.
On Saturday morning, I went down to get coffee and blueberry muffins. They were delicious and became our morning routine for the 3 days we were at the Venetian. I would go down, play a little bj and bring back breakfast while Helen slept in a bit. Saturday's first session was a $200 profit. A profitable and tasty procedure!
After breakfast we drove to the Bellagio to check out the Conservatory and its Chinese New Year display for The Year of the Rooster which will be up through February. It's an impressive work and we were lucky enough to get there before it was too crowded.
After the Bellagio stop, we walked next door to Caesar's Palace and strolled through the Forum Shops. It was getting close to dinner time and we decided to visit The Cheesecake Factory, one of Helen's favorite eateries. Usually there's a wait to get a table, but we were lucky to get right in - another win! Helen had an Asian Chicken Salad and I enjoyed a Chicken Salad Sandwich with fries.
Then we walked back to the Bellagio, got the car and drove back to the Venetian.
We rested in our room for a while, then I went down to see if my luck would continue at the bj tables. It did and in about an hour, I racked up a $220 win. Then it was back to the room for the night.
On my Sunday morning breakfast run, I started the day with a sweet win of $590. It was one of those special times when the cards were just falling my way. I hit 4 double-downs in a row at one stretch.
And had back-to-back blackjacks twice!
I took breakfast back to the room about 8 a.m. and we enjoyed our muffins & coffee together. Then I went back down stairs while Helen got ready for the day. Our Super Bowl Party was to start at 2:30, so we had time to do other things in the mean time. I decided to visit the Palazzo and found an empty blackjack table there.
It was another luck-fest as I hit hand after hand playing heads up with the dealer. After about 15 minutes, I was joined by a guy who bought in for $3,000 and started playing $50 to $100 a hand. I was hoping his presence wouldn't change my luck...and it didn't! We both were hitting hands and the dealer was busting on a regular basis. Mr. Big Bucks cashed in after winning $1200 in about 30 minutes. A few minutes later, I left with a $600 profit.
Before the football game even began, it was a SUPER SUNDAY for me!
At 2 p.m. Helen and I headed over to the Palazzo Ballroom where the Party was being held. At check-in I learned that 1,000 guests had been invited to the comped affair which featured fully stocked bars and buffet lines of great food.
There were Georgia BBQ Pulled Pork to honor the Falcons and New England Clam Chowder for Patriot fans. There were beef sliders, nachos, mac & cheese, veggie wraps, hot dogs, green salads, potato salads, chips, dips, and for dessert brownies, pecan tarts and a freezer full of haagen dazs ice cream products. I sampled almost everything, washed down by 3 Coronas. Eat and drink all you want for free!
The game was exciting, even though we had some money on Atlanta and the Under. I did hit some props - no interception by Matt Ryan, both teams to score more than 7 TDs and Atlanta to score first, so it wasn't a total loss. Helen was a little concerned about sitting at a table with a bunch of drunken guys watching football. But we sat with two ladies who were Packers fans and whose husbands had been invited to sit in a special High Roller section. So our table actually had 5 women and only 3 guys and Helen had a great time!
Hopefully we'll get invited back next year!
After the game we walked though the Canal Shoppes and Helen bought 4 stone bracelets that she really admitted. Then it was back to the room to rest a bit. A fun, fun Super Bowl Sunday!
We checked out of the Venetian on Monday morning and drove to the Wynn. Helen had never been there and we'll be going there next month to see a John Fogerty concert. So I wanted her to see how nice it is. Like other casinos, the Wynn is celebrating The Year of the Rooster, so there are lots of displays with Roosters.
Then I drove us home as Helen talked with Anna on the phone. And today our adventure continues...
We left at 11 a.m. to meet my friend Claudine Grant for lunch at the Grand Lux Café at the Palazzo, the Venetian's sister property. I parked at the Venetian on the 7th floor. We refer to it as the "Rocky Colavito" floor. Naming the floor after ballplayers, usually Tigers, helps me remember where we parked. Sometimes it's on "Al Kaline" or "Hank Greenberg" or "Yogi Berra" or "Charlie Maxwell" but never "Mickey Lolich."
Claudine is PR manager at the Venetian, specializing in Restaurant and Entertainment PR. I met her two years ago at a Super Bowl Party and we've been facebook friends ever since. Helen had not met her before, but we had a great soup-and-salad lunch and it was a quick hour before Claudine had to get back to a meeting.
Helen and I checked into our handicapped access room on the 15th floor and it was very comfortable and easy for her to navigate in her wheelchair. It has sheer blinds and curtains that are opened/closed by a switch on the wall. And 3 TVs, including one in the bathroom. We looked forward to spending three nights - all comped - there in style!
After resting a bit, I went down to play some blackjack. I looked all over the gaming floor before settling into a less-than-desirable table. It was a $15 minimum bet and it only paid 6-5 for a blackjack. The only tables that paid 3-2 had minimum bets of $50 and $100, a little too high for me.
Despite the drawbacks, I had a good session, winning $350 in about an hour.
Then I took a break and strolled to the sports book where I bet $25 on CMU to win their hoops game against Western Michigan. CMU was a 3-point favorite, but they were playing at home and I figured they could handle the Broncos in this rivalry showdown, so I made the bet and left. I checked back at halftime and was stunned that WMU was topping CMU 53-40. Surely that game was lost and I went on a walk around the Venetian.
I checked back at the sports book with 10 minutes to play and CMU had whittled the lead down from 13 to 12 points. I sat down and suddenly CMU came alive, hitting a 3-pointer, then a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 5 with about 5 minutes left to play. The Chippewas actually took a one-point lead with 2 minutes left on the clock and I began to think I might win the wager!
They swapped baskets and the score was tied 81-81 when Central had the ball with 20 seconds to go. They passed it around and their star guard Marcus Keene nailed a 3-pointer with only 4 seconds on the clock. I figured I would get a push and get my money back. Pretty nice after trailing for 38 of the games 40 minutes!
WMU in-bounded the ball and in an attempt to steal the pass, CMU fouled a Bronco player who calmly nailed a free throw making the score 84-82 and turning my push into a loss. But he missed the second free throw and in a scramble for the loose ball, the Broncos fouled a CMU player who calmly went to the free throw line and nailed both shots. That made it 86-82, but 3 seconds still remained on the clock. WMU inbounded the ball and tried a halfcourt shot that, thankfully missed. My $25 bet returned $22.75 - a small but exciting victory!
By now it was about dinner time and Helen and I opted to check out the Venetian's food court instead of one of its upscale eateries. We settled on some Italian fare - I went for spaghetti and meatballs, while Helen had a tasty grilled panini. Then we went back to the room for the night.
On Saturday morning, I went down to get coffee and blueberry muffins. They were delicious and became our morning routine for the 3 days we were at the Venetian. I would go down, play a little bj and bring back breakfast while Helen slept in a bit. Saturday's first session was a $200 profit. A profitable and tasty procedure!
After breakfast we drove to the Bellagio to check out the Conservatory and its Chinese New Year display for The Year of the Rooster which will be up through February. It's an impressive work and we were lucky enough to get there before it was too crowded.
After the Bellagio stop, we walked next door to Caesar's Palace and strolled through the Forum Shops. It was getting close to dinner time and we decided to visit The Cheesecake Factory, one of Helen's favorite eateries. Usually there's a wait to get a table, but we were lucky to get right in - another win! Helen had an Asian Chicken Salad and I enjoyed a Chicken Salad Sandwich with fries.
Then we walked back to the Bellagio, got the car and drove back to the Venetian.
We rested in our room for a while, then I went down to see if my luck would continue at the bj tables. It did and in about an hour, I racked up a $220 win. Then it was back to the room for the night.
On my Sunday morning breakfast run, I started the day with a sweet win of $590. It was one of those special times when the cards were just falling my way. I hit 4 double-downs in a row at one stretch.
And had back-to-back blackjacks twice!
I took breakfast back to the room about 8 a.m. and we enjoyed our muffins & coffee together. Then I went back down stairs while Helen got ready for the day. Our Super Bowl Party was to start at 2:30, so we had time to do other things in the mean time. I decided to visit the Palazzo and found an empty blackjack table there.
It was another luck-fest as I hit hand after hand playing heads up with the dealer. After about 15 minutes, I was joined by a guy who bought in for $3,000 and started playing $50 to $100 a hand. I was hoping his presence wouldn't change my luck...and it didn't! We both were hitting hands and the dealer was busting on a regular basis. Mr. Big Bucks cashed in after winning $1200 in about 30 minutes. A few minutes later, I left with a $600 profit.
Before the football game even began, it was a SUPER SUNDAY for me!
At 2 p.m. Helen and I headed over to the Palazzo Ballroom where the Party was being held. At check-in I learned that 1,000 guests had been invited to the comped affair which featured fully stocked bars and buffet lines of great food.
There were Georgia BBQ Pulled Pork to honor the Falcons and New England Clam Chowder for Patriot fans. There were beef sliders, nachos, mac & cheese, veggie wraps, hot dogs, green salads, potato salads, chips, dips, and for dessert brownies, pecan tarts and a freezer full of haagen dazs ice cream products. I sampled almost everything, washed down by 3 Coronas. Eat and drink all you want for free!
The game was exciting, even though we had some money on Atlanta and the Under. I did hit some props - no interception by Matt Ryan, both teams to score more than 7 TDs and Atlanta to score first, so it wasn't a total loss. Helen was a little concerned about sitting at a table with a bunch of drunken guys watching football. But we sat with two ladies who were Packers fans and whose husbands had been invited to sit in a special High Roller section. So our table actually had 5 women and only 3 guys and Helen had a great time!
Hopefully we'll get invited back next year!
After the game we walked though the Canal Shoppes and Helen bought 4 stone bracelets that she really admitted. Then it was back to the room to rest a bit. A fun, fun Super Bowl Sunday!
We checked out of the Venetian on Monday morning and drove to the Wynn. Helen had never been there and we'll be going there next month to see a John Fogerty concert. So I wanted her to see how nice it is. Like other casinos, the Wynn is celebrating The Year of the Rooster, so there are lots of displays with Roosters.
Then I drove us home as Helen talked with Anna on the phone. And today our adventure continues...
Friday, February 3, 2017
Bally's Poker Tournament
Last night was the first Bally's Free Roll Poker Tournament under its new format and it was an interesting evening.
In order to qualify for the free tourney, each of us had to log 60 hours of play during January. I put in 61 hours, just enough to get a seat at the event which pays $400 to the first 50 finishers. Well, turns out that the 60 hour requirement was just too tough for most players. When play was set to begin at 6 p.m. there were only 40 players who put in enough hours and out of those 40, only 39 showed up to play.
So the poker room manager Mike ruled that everyone there would split the $20,000 pot. We each took down $512, with a lucky few getting$513. So without playing a hand in the tourney last night, I was a big winner.
I actually got down to Bally's about 1 p.m. and played for a couple of hours, winning $200. Half of that came on my second hand when I was dealt 8-7, both diamonds. The flop showed two more diamonds. I bet $20 and got one caller. The turn was the Ace of Diamonds, giving me a flush. I bet $60, expecting my lone opponent to fold, but he called the bet, then mucked his hand when I showed the flush! Nice win there!
A little after 3 p.m. I left the poker room, grabbing a tasty (and comped) Italian sandwich from the Nosh Deli and walked to the Paris sports book to watch Michigan State play Nebraska. Enjoyed the sandwich and the game as the Spartans rolled to an easy win. I didn't have any $$$ on the game, because I just don't trust the Spartans, especially on the road.
Then it was back to the Poker room to collect my winnings, which totaled $713 for the day in poker. While there, we learned that the free roll tourney will be changed again for the next month. Instead of requiring 60 hours, it will only require 45 in order to attract more players. Also, the top 40 finishers will win $500 each.
And at each of the monthly tourneys they will have 10 random drawings to win a seat at a World Series of Poker Event - a $365 value. So if there are 50 or 60 players each month and they give away 10 seats each month, you'd have a decent shot at winning one. And the seats are transferable, meaning you could sell it if you didn't want to play in the event, which takes place in May or June. Between the seat and the cash, it's conceivable to pocket more than $800 for just playing 45 hours of poker. Pretty good value, it seems.
This morning, Helen and I are packing, getting ready to spend 3 nights at the Venetian. We'll check in this afternoon. Over the next 3 days we're looking forward to eating at the Grand Lux Café, one of our favorite eateries and, of course, Sunday's big SuperBowl Party.
We're not taking the laptop and will be off line for a few days. But I'll post the details of our visit there as our adventure continues...
In order to qualify for the free tourney, each of us had to log 60 hours of play during January. I put in 61 hours, just enough to get a seat at the event which pays $400 to the first 50 finishers. Well, turns out that the 60 hour requirement was just too tough for most players. When play was set to begin at 6 p.m. there were only 40 players who put in enough hours and out of those 40, only 39 showed up to play.
So the poker room manager Mike ruled that everyone there would split the $20,000 pot. We each took down $512, with a lucky few getting$513. So without playing a hand in the tourney last night, I was a big winner.
I actually got down to Bally's about 1 p.m. and played for a couple of hours, winning $200. Half of that came on my second hand when I was dealt 8-7, both diamonds. The flop showed two more diamonds. I bet $20 and got one caller. The turn was the Ace of Diamonds, giving me a flush. I bet $60, expecting my lone opponent to fold, but he called the bet, then mucked his hand when I showed the flush! Nice win there!
A little after 3 p.m. I left the poker room, grabbing a tasty (and comped) Italian sandwich from the Nosh Deli and walked to the Paris sports book to watch Michigan State play Nebraska. Enjoyed the sandwich and the game as the Spartans rolled to an easy win. I didn't have any $$$ on the game, because I just don't trust the Spartans, especially on the road.
Then it was back to the Poker room to collect my winnings, which totaled $713 for the day in poker. While there, we learned that the free roll tourney will be changed again for the next month. Instead of requiring 60 hours, it will only require 45 in order to attract more players. Also, the top 40 finishers will win $500 each.
And at each of the monthly tourneys they will have 10 random drawings to win a seat at a World Series of Poker Event - a $365 value. So if there are 50 or 60 players each month and they give away 10 seats each month, you'd have a decent shot at winning one. And the seats are transferable, meaning you could sell it if you didn't want to play in the event, which takes place in May or June. Between the seat and the cash, it's conceivable to pocket more than $800 for just playing 45 hours of poker. Pretty good value, it seems.
This morning, Helen and I are packing, getting ready to spend 3 nights at the Venetian. We'll check in this afternoon. Over the next 3 days we're looking forward to eating at the Grand Lux Café, one of our favorite eateries and, of course, Sunday's big SuperBowl Party.
We're not taking the laptop and will be off line for a few days. But I'll post the details of our visit there as our adventure continues...
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