Helen and I are hip-deep in preparing to leave LV on Thursday.
We've been pretty busy lately and I really haven't done a good job of keeping up the blog reports. So here's a brief update on our recent activities.
On Sat. April 16 I played in a huge poker tourney with futile results. The tourney was so big that it required four different sessions with about 800 players per session on Sat. The top 400 advanced to the finals on Sunday. The overall winner got $40K and everyone at the final table was guaranteed $1,000.
We all started with $1,400 in play chips. The first two 12-minutes rounds were Limit Texas Hold 'em, then a round of Omaha (which I had never played before) then five rounds of no-limit. In the first round I had pocket Kings lose to a flush on the river. That sort of set the tone for things to come.
In the Omaha round I made a HUGE blunder. In Omaha you receive four hole cards, instead of two. Otherwise it's like limit holdem. Since I didn't really know the rules, I made up my mind to just fold every hand for the 12-minute session. But after watching a couple of hands, I thought I understood the game. And when I got dealt 3 clubs (with the Ace) I thought I'd play and try to land the flush. Sure enough, the flop contained two clubs and I began betting. One guy called and eventually he hit a straight while I proudly announced "flush" showing my cards. Little did I realize I could only use TWO of my hole cards. I had made a HUGE mistake and I really had nothing! My face was red as other players snickered...
I finally went out in the 1st No Limit session when I had $600 left and I was dealt J-J. I shoved all in and got called by a guy with A-Q. He hit a queen on the flop and my day was done. I collected $75 for qualifying for the tourney, plus a cool hat.
Since then I have not played any poker and done VERY little betting at all. I've been stashing cash to pay for the gas/hotels on the long drive home. As part of that practice, I've been burning up the comps I've earned over the winter. Yesterday Helen and I enjoyed a really nice Easter Dinner at The Suncoast - she had Lamb Chops, while I had a New York Strip Steak with mashed potatoes and two jumbo shrimp filled with crab. I used my players points for the comp!
I still have about $50 in Suncoast comps to use over the next 3 days.
Gambling-wise, the trip started very well and ended on a low note.
December, January and Feb were winning months, March was OK and April was a loser. Highlights were visits by Scott and his family in February when we all went to see "The Lion King."
In March Helen's sister Sharon & husband Larry made their first trip to LV. Larry and I had a great time betting "March Madness" games together and one of the highlights was him hitting a 3-team parlay for $120.
One regret is that we never made a trip to LA to visit Helen's brother Norm and his family. After Sharon & Larry left in March, we tried to arrange a visit, but Norm's work schedule made it impossible. We'll do better next year...
We're packing up our household belongings and getting ready to hit the road. Over the next couple of days, I'll take a few loads to the 10x10 storage unit, which is costing us $84 a month. On Thursday the movers are supposed to be here between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. It'll cost $260 (the minimum for 2 guys at 2 hours) to have them move our furniture and any items I can't take myself. The guy who's always moved us was not available, so we're going with this new company which is about $60 more expensive. That's a tank of gas!!
I hope we can get on the road by noon or 1 on Thursday. If so, we can drive to Gallup NM, about 6 hours away, where we'll stop. Then Friday it's across NM, across the Texas panhandle and into Oklahoma. On Saturday we'll drive through Missouri and into Illinois where we'll spend the night, maybe around Springfield. That's about 7-8 hours from TC and we should get home Sunday afternoon/night...
Hopefully there won't be any weather/travel issues on our trip home...as our LV adventure winds down til next year!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Poker Action
Today I'm heading over to Texas Station to play in a big poker tournament. It's a free tourney that I qualified for by playing 30-plus hours of poker at Red Rock. Everyone who qualifies gets $75 and if you survive the first day you receive $200. Top prize is $40,000 and everyone who makes the final table gets at least $1,000. Hundreds of players will be there. I need to focus on good thoughts and good cards, especially in the wake of yesterday's rough treatment at the Ballys poker room. I have not played in almost two weeks, but decided to make one last trip to the Strip before we leave town on April 28. So I went to Ballys, arriving about 10:30 and immediately got into a 1-2 no limit game. Within the first 30 minutes or so, I had run my $100 buy-in up to about $160-70. Life was good and I swore that if I hit $200 I'd take a break for lunch. That never happened. A series of bad cards like Q-7, K-4, A-6 melted down my chip stack. Over the next 2-3 hours I hovered around even, but then a couple of pots got me back up to $170 and again I eyed the $200 goal. Then I got dealt K-J of hearts, always worth seeing a flop in my opinion. I was pretty pleased when the flop came 3h, Js, 8h. Top pair and a nice flush draw! I bet $15 and got only 1 caller. Then turn was a 2 of clubs - no apparent help and I bet $25 and the same guy called. The river was the 5 OF HEARTS - whooo hooo, hit the second highest possible flush. I pretended to think about it for a while, then bet $50, hoping the guy would call. I was still pretty happy when he thought about it for a few seconds, then whispered "All In" shoving his stack of over $200 into the pot. Maybe he has two pair, maybe even a small flush, maybe three of a kind. I flopped my K-J, already thinking that this pot would put me up between $350 and $400... He showed the A-9 both of Hearts - besting my K-High flush!!!!! I stood up from the table and left, feeling a little nauseous after losing that hand. I tried to rationalize the loss. I was walking out with $100 less than I started, but really felt I dumped off $170, a pretty substantial setback for me. It was a sad, sad drive home from the Strip. Aaaaargh. When I got home, I made nachos for Helen and I for dinner. She had kept busy emailing some friends and talking on the phone with Anna. She also did laundry and started getting ready for our trip back to TC. I've rented our storage unit, but our regular moving guy may not be able to help us this year. He's taken another job and may have to work that day. We should know for sure next Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm already looking into gettting another mover in case of Plan B. And so, as it dwindles down, our LV adventure continues...
Monday, April 4, 2011
Catchin' Up
It's been quite a while since I logged on here, so I'm give a quick rundown of our past 10 days or so.
Sharon and Larry were here Mar 22-29 and I've already detailed the early part of their trip. Toward the end of their visit we kept busy visiting the Imperial Palace Car Collection, watching the Bellagio Fountains, hitting the Bellagio Buffet and more.
One day we drove to Boulder City and had breakfast at The Coffee Cup, a local eatery that was featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." Helen and Sharon had a California omelet, Larry polished off a HUGE breakfast burrito and I opted for Pigs in a Blanket. All really tasty.
Boulder City is the only town in Nevada that has specifically banned gambling. It was founded to house the workers who built the Hoover Dam, the next stop on our day trip.
As usual, the dam was impressive and we all learned a lot on our visit. Sharon and Larry really seemed to enjoy the day. The weather was in the 
70s and windy, as it usually is at the dam.
70s and windy, as it usually is at the dam. Sharon and Larry enjoyed their visit and after they left, Helen and I got back into our routine - me playing poker and her chatting on the phone with family and friends.
My poker luck has turned sour. I've had several losing sessions and I'm thinking of shutting down my action since it's time to get ready to head home. I will be playing in a big poker tournament on April 16-17. Top prize is $40,000. Everyone who makes the final table receives at least $1,000 and everyone who qualified (by playing 30 hours of poker in a Station Casino) will receive $75. If you survive the first day, you receive a minimum of $200. So I'll try my best.
On April 2, I made my last rent payment here and now it's time to line up our moving guy and rent a storage unit. We plan on leaving April 28, three weeks from this Thursday. If all goes well, we'll arrive in TC on Saturday the 30th or Sunday. We're both ready to get back to Michigan and see our friends and family.
It's great getting out of the winter weather, but we're looking forward to being home again. Til then, our adventure continues...
Friday, March 25, 2011
Keepin' the Company Busy
Helen's sister Sharon and her husband Larry arrived Tuesday night and we've been keeping them busy seeing the LV sights for the past couple of days.
They're staying at the Luxor and on Wednesday we picked them up at 11:30 and drove down to Bill's where we parked. That gave us easy access to Caesar's Palace where we checked out the action and toured the Forum Shops. One highlight was the HUGE aquarium outside the Cheesecake Factory.
After a while, we crossed the Strip and had lunch at Margaritaville. Larry and I started off with a couple of cooling Landshark Lagers, then we split an enormous Volcano Nachos order. Sharon and Helen both had chicken quesadillas. We were all STUFFED when we waddled out.
We made our way north, past O'Shea's,the IP, Harrah's and into the Venetian, where Larry and I headed to the sports book and the ladies went shopping in the Canal Shoppes. After a couple of hours, we all met up and I drove them back to the Luxor to call it a night.
On Thursday, we picked them up at noon and brought Sharon and Larry back to show them our apartment. Then we drove to the Red Rock casino where Larry and I made a pair of parlay hoops bets (more on them later) and then headed out to the Red Rock Natural Area.
Red Rock is one of our favorite, little-known areas around LV. It's an impressive rocky, mountainous area that is breathtaking in its beauty. You drive a 13-mile loop to see all the sights and there are several stops to take photos and just soak up the view. As a bonus, we get in free since Helen has a lifetime pass to any National Park. It's available to anyone who is disabled. Very cool. Sharon and Larry really liked Red Rock and it's such a change from the glitz and glamor of the Strip.
After a couple of hours at Red Rock, we drove back to the Red Rock Casino to have an early dinner - about 430 - at Yardhouse, a new eatery that claims to have the most draft beers in the world. It's an impressive assortment and Larry and I tried their wares. He opted for Moose Drool, a hearty brown ale, while I went for Alaskan Red, a robust red. Both were excellent, as was the food. Larry, Helen and Sharon went for a hearty mac and cheese dish, while I had a personal pizza. Since we were there during happy hour, all our meals were half price. The tab for the four of us, including three handcrafted beers and soft drinks, was only $60.
While there, we watched the beginnings of our hoops games. Larry and I both went with Florida, Butler and Arizona. And even though FLA had to go overtime, we won all three bets. We each bet $20 and took home $120 profit. SWEET!!!!! It was Larry's first ever sports bet and he's already itching to get something down on tonight's games.
We're picking them up at noon today and some of the things we're considering today are a trip to the Bellagio Conservatory, maybe a meal at Bellagio Buffet, a tour of the car museum at the IP, the Mac King magic show, and perhaps a trip to the Hard Rock Casino, which is off strip a couple of miles. Whatever we do, our adventure continues...
They're staying at the Luxor and on Wednesday we picked them up at 11:30 and drove down to Bill's where we parked. That gave us easy access to Caesar's Palace where we checked out the action and toured the Forum Shops. One highlight was the HUGE aquarium outside the Cheesecake Factory.
After a while, we crossed the Strip and had lunch at Margaritaville. Larry and I started off with a couple of cooling Landshark Lagers, then we split an enormous Volcano Nachos order. Sharon and Helen both had chicken quesadillas. We were all STUFFED when we waddled out.
We made our way north, past O'Shea's,the IP, Harrah's and into the Venetian, where Larry and I headed to the sports book and the ladies went shopping in the Canal Shoppes. After a couple of hours, we all met up and I drove them back to the Luxor to call it a night.
On Thursday, we picked them up at noon and brought Sharon and Larry back to show them our apartment. Then we drove to the Red Rock casino where Larry and I made a pair of parlay hoops bets (more on them later) and then headed out to the Red Rock Natural Area.
Red Rock is one of our favorite, little-known areas around LV. It's an impressive rocky, mountainous area that is breathtaking in its beauty. You drive a 13-mile loop to see all the sights and there are several stops to take photos and just soak up the view. As a bonus, we get in free since Helen has a lifetime pass to any National Park. It's available to anyone who is disabled. Very cool. Sharon and Larry really liked Red Rock and it's such a change from the glitz and glamor of the Strip.
After a couple of hours at Red Rock, we drove back to the Red Rock Casino to have an early dinner - about 430 - at Yardhouse, a new eatery that claims to have the most draft beers in the world. It's an impressive assortment and Larry and I tried their wares. He opted for Moose Drool, a hearty brown ale, while I went for Alaskan Red, a robust red. Both were excellent, as was the food. Larry, Helen and Sharon went for a hearty mac and cheese dish, while I had a personal pizza. Since we were there during happy hour, all our meals were half price. The tab for the four of us, including three handcrafted beers and soft drinks, was only $60.
While there, we watched the beginnings of our hoops games. Larry and I both went with Florida, Butler and Arizona. And even though FLA had to go overtime, we won all three bets. We each bet $20 and took home $120 profit. SWEET!!!!! It was Larry's first ever sports bet and he's already itching to get something down on tonight's games.
We're picking them up at noon today and some of the things we're considering today are a trip to the Bellagio Conservatory, maybe a meal at Bellagio Buffet, a tour of the car museum at the IP, the Mac King magic show, and perhaps a trip to the Hard Rock Casino, which is off strip a couple of miles. Whatever we do, our adventure continues...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Company Comin'
Helen and I are getting ready for a visit by her sister Sharon and her husband Larry. They'll be flying in tonight, escaping Detroit's nasty winter weather for some Vegas sunshine. Forecasts here are for partly sunny skies and mid-60s temps for most of their weeklong visit.
I haven't been playing much poker or blackjack lately. My latests visits to the poker room were not successful - losing my $100 for two straight days on the 12th and 13th of March. One poker highlight - I've logged 30 hours of play at the Red Rock which qualifies me for a huge tourney on April 16-17. Everyone who qualifies gets $75 and those who make it through the 1st day receive $200. Top prize is $40,000 and all who make the final table will receive at least $1,000. Should be fun.
Lately I've been focusing on March Madness and that's had mixed results. Lost a teaser parlay Sunday when Purdue got knocked off by VCA. We'll make some more hoops bets this week when action resumes on Thursday.
Helen and I went to the show last week to see "Rango." She likes Johnny Depp and he's the voice of the lead character. We thought it was OK, but Helen did say she was a bit disappointed in it.
With Sharon and Larry in town we'll be doing lots of touristy things. They'd like to see Hoover Dam and Red Rock. Plus we'll be eating at Margaritaville, Grand Lux Cafe and Hash House A Go Go, plus other venues. They're staying at the Luxor and will be here til the 29th.
And so our adventure continues...
I haven't been playing much poker or blackjack lately. My latests visits to the poker room were not successful - losing my $100 for two straight days on the 12th and 13th of March. One poker highlight - I've logged 30 hours of play at the Red Rock which qualifies me for a huge tourney on April 16-17. Everyone who qualifies gets $75 and those who make it through the 1st day receive $200. Top prize is $40,000 and all who make the final table will receive at least $1,000. Should be fun.
Lately I've been focusing on March Madness and that's had mixed results. Lost a teaser parlay Sunday when Purdue got knocked off by VCA. We'll make some more hoops bets this week when action resumes on Thursday.
Helen and I went to the show last week to see "Rango." She likes Johnny Depp and he's the voice of the lead character. We thought it was OK, but Helen did say she was a bit disappointed in it.
With Sharon and Larry in town we'll be doing lots of touristy things. They'd like to see Hoover Dam and Red Rock. Plus we'll be eating at Margaritaville, Grand Lux Cafe and Hash House A Go Go, plus other venues. They're staying at the Luxor and will be here til the 29th.
And so our adventure continues...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Suncoast Visit
Tuesday started with a flurry of work activity. I'm researching an article about the Michigan prison system and spoke with a PR person who is helping me get some info from a TC consulting firm for the piece. Once I get answers to the questions I sent her, I'll be ready to pull together the article, hopefully by tomorrow or so...
Meanwhile, after working I returned to blackjack action at the Suncoast and was able to grind out a profit of $32 after about 45 minutes of play. Not great, but it's always nice to post a profit. Took a break and enjoyed a comped buffet lunch of grilled chicken, fried rice, pasta with veggies and carrot cake. No interesting hoops games, so I headed home.
Helen was busy emailing her sister Sharon who is coming to visit us in two weeks. Sharon and husband Larry will arrive about 9 .m. on the 22nd and stay til the 29th. Helen's very excited and is working with Sharon to decide what they'd like to do and see and where to eat. Sounds like we'll be visiting Hoover Dam, Boulder City, and the Red Rock Natural Area, plus lots of casinos. Meals will include Hash House Ago Go, Margaritaville and at least one buffet. It'll be fun to have them here.
I headed home by about 2, since I didn't want to overdo it as I recover from this pesty cold. I'm functioning at about 90 percent now with congestion and occasional coughing. I still feel weary, though and can tell I'm not quite 100 percent.
We watched TV last night and I whipped up a dinner of spinach souffle and grilled potatoes. It was the first souffle we've had and I was not that thrilled. Won't go there again...but the spuds were very tasty.
Today's weather is climbing into the mid-70s for the first time. It'll be like that for about a week or so at least, say the predictors. Definitely shorts-and-t-shirt-weather!! And so our adventure continues...
Meanwhile, after working I returned to blackjack action at the Suncoast and was able to grind out a profit of $32 after about 45 minutes of play. Not great, but it's always nice to post a profit. Took a break and enjoyed a comped buffet lunch of grilled chicken, fried rice, pasta with veggies and carrot cake. No interesting hoops games, so I headed home.
Helen was busy emailing her sister Sharon who is coming to visit us in two weeks. Sharon and husband Larry will arrive about 9 .m. on the 22nd and stay til the 29th. Helen's very excited and is working with Sharon to decide what they'd like to do and see and where to eat. Sounds like we'll be visiting Hoover Dam, Boulder City, and the Red Rock Natural Area, plus lots of casinos. Meals will include Hash House Ago Go, Margaritaville and at least one buffet. It'll be fun to have them here.
I headed home by about 2, since I didn't want to overdo it as I recover from this pesty cold. I'm functioning at about 90 percent now with congestion and occasional coughing. I still feel weary, though and can tell I'm not quite 100 percent.
We watched TV last night and I whipped up a dinner of spinach souffle and grilled potatoes. It was the first souffle we've had and I was not that thrilled. Won't go there again...but the spuds were very tasty.
Today's weather is climbing into the mid-70s for the first time. It'll be like that for about a week or so at least, say the predictors. Definitely shorts-and-t-shirt-weather!! And so our adventure continues...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday Update
I've been battling a winter cold for the past five days, so the Vegas activity has been slower than usual recently.
It was Wednesday night when I started feeling feverish and chilled. Then Thursday I launched into full-blown coughing, sneezing nastiness with a fever of 101.5 (sounds like an fm-rock station). Anyway, Helen had me take some meds and by Friday, I was feeling good enough to visit MGM Grand for some poker. My throat was scratchy and I sipped coffee and water during the day, but was able to play.
Key hand came after about an hour of playing. I had won a couple of small pots and was up maybe $25-30 after buying in for $100. Looking down I found a 6-7 of Hearts and decided to call the $2 blind bet. Flop comes 5-8-9 - I flopped a well-disguised straight!!
After three guys checked, I bet $15, hoping that someone might have some over pair like J-J or Q-Q and would raise me. The guy to my immediate left called the $15, but the guy to his left shoved his whole stack of $150 or so into the pot. I WAS THRILLED and knew I had the highest possible hand... I CALLED and pushed in all my chips. The other guy who originally just called, folded.
Since there was no other action, we showed our cards. The guy showed a 5-8 offsuit - he had flopped two pair. I showed my straight and looked forward to taking down this $300 or so pot.
BUUUUUUT, the turn was another 5 - giving the guy an unbeatable FULL HOUSE... The guy had three outs (two fives and 1 eight) and he hit it. Turns out the guy who folded also had flopped two pair 8s and 9s.
I didn't rebuy and left to watch some basketball, feeling sicker than before and it wasnt because of my cold. AAAARGH. But those things happen in poker. The guy had about an 8 percent chance of winning and he did.
Saturday and Sunday were both stay-at-home days, trying to fight off this cold and feel better. The fever is gone, but now I'm just coughing and sneezing. Yesterday Helen spent some time talking with her sister Sharon who is planning to come to LV in a couple of weeks. Sharon and Larry have never been here before and are looking at coming March 22-29 and staying at the Luxor. It'll be fun to have them here and I'm sure I'll be over this cold by then.
We also watched lots of TV, including several episodes of some auction show. That was kind of interesting to see the eclectic mix of auction items. Sort of like Pickers and Pawn Stars combined...
Today I need to do an interview for an article I'm writing about Michigan's prison system. I'll be talking to the head of a consulting firm that specializes in helping prison's and jails solve problems. The firm is based in TC.
Also, today we plan to visit the local Target so Helen can pick up a few things. Not sure if I'll visit any poker rooms or not, but the adventure continues...
It was Wednesday night when I started feeling feverish and chilled. Then Thursday I launched into full-blown coughing, sneezing nastiness with a fever of 101.5 (sounds like an fm-rock station). Anyway, Helen had me take some meds and by Friday, I was feeling good enough to visit MGM Grand for some poker. My throat was scratchy and I sipped coffee and water during the day, but was able to play.
Key hand came after about an hour of playing. I had won a couple of small pots and was up maybe $25-30 after buying in for $100. Looking down I found a 6-7 of Hearts and decided to call the $2 blind bet. Flop comes 5-8-9 - I flopped a well-disguised straight!!
After three guys checked, I bet $15, hoping that someone might have some over pair like J-J or Q-Q and would raise me. The guy to my immediate left called the $15, but the guy to his left shoved his whole stack of $150 or so into the pot. I WAS THRILLED and knew I had the highest possible hand... I CALLED and pushed in all my chips. The other guy who originally just called, folded.
Since there was no other action, we showed our cards. The guy showed a 5-8 offsuit - he had flopped two pair. I showed my straight and looked forward to taking down this $300 or so pot.
BUUUUUUT, the turn was another 5 - giving the guy an unbeatable FULL HOUSE... The guy had three outs (two fives and 1 eight) and he hit it. Turns out the guy who folded also had flopped two pair 8s and 9s.
I didn't rebuy and left to watch some basketball, feeling sicker than before and it wasnt because of my cold. AAAARGH. But those things happen in poker. The guy had about an 8 percent chance of winning and he did.
Saturday and Sunday were both stay-at-home days, trying to fight off this cold and feel better. The fever is gone, but now I'm just coughing and sneezing. Yesterday Helen spent some time talking with her sister Sharon who is planning to come to LV in a couple of weeks. Sharon and Larry have never been here before and are looking at coming March 22-29 and staying at the Luxor. It'll be fun to have them here and I'm sure I'll be over this cold by then.
We also watched lots of TV, including several episodes of some auction show. That was kind of interesting to see the eclectic mix of auction items. Sort of like Pickers and Pawn Stars combined...
Today I need to do an interview for an article I'm writing about Michigan's prison system. I'll be talking to the head of a consulting firm that specializes in helping prison's and jails solve problems. The firm is based in TC.
Also, today we plan to visit the local Target so Helen can pick up a few things. Not sure if I'll visit any poker rooms or not, but the adventure continues...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Baseball Season Win Totals Are Out
The Suncoast released their BB Season Win Totals on March 1. Here are some of the most interesting...
Phillies - 97
Red Sox - 95
Yankees - 92
Braves and Giants - 88
Rockies and Rangers - 86.5
Twins -86
Reds and Brewers - 85.5
White Sox - 85
TIGERS, Dodgers, A's, Rays - 84
Cardinals -83
Cubs - 82
The two lowest totals are the Royals at 69 and the Pirates at 67.
All of these totals are set at -115, meaning you have to bet $115 to win $100. A $100 bet will net you something like $92 or so. I'll be looking at other casinos to see if win totals are different at other place. Typically there's a game or half-game difference at some places. That can mean a lot. In fact, Nick and I lost our $100 bet last year by a half-game. The Tigers had to win over 81.5 and they finished 81-81. Aaaargh...
Phillies - 97
Red Sox - 95
Yankees - 92
Braves and Giants - 88
Rockies and Rangers - 86.5
Twins -86
Reds and Brewers - 85.5
White Sox - 85
TIGERS, Dodgers, A's, Rays - 84
Cardinals -83
Cubs - 82
The two lowest totals are the Royals at 69 and the Pirates at 67.
All of these totals are set at -115, meaning you have to bet $115 to win $100. A $100 bet will net you something like $92 or so. I'll be looking at other casinos to see if win totals are different at other place. Typically there's a game or half-game difference at some places. That can mean a lot. In fact, Nick and I lost our $100 bet last year by a half-game. The Tigers had to win over 81.5 and they finished 81-81. Aaaargh...
Scott and Lisa's Visit and More
On Feb. 22, Scott and Lisa, along with grandkids Katherine, Mason and Noah arrived in town for a week-long visit.
Helen and I had long been looking forward to their trip and we were not disappointed. It was a whirlwind week of fun. We did some typical tourist things on the Strip and enjoyed it even though it was a bit tiring. After arriving on the 22nd, we walked through the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood and ate dinner at the PH Buffet. Then kids were really impressed by the food variety and "all ya can eat" aspect of the buffet. We ate and ate til we were stuffed...
At the kids' request, Helen spent the night at their hotel - the Marriott, just off the Strip near PH.
On the 23rd (while I played poker), Helen took the group to visit the Bellagio lobby, conservatory and fountain show, then led them through the Caesar's Palace Forum shops on a shopping trip. They had a tasty lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in the Forum shops. On the 24th, Scott and Lisa visited with friends in Henderson, while Helen and I just relaxed a bit.
On the 25th, all of us had a nice lunch with Bruce and Sandi who arrived in town for a Garth Brooks concert. Lunch was at Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian and, once again, I overate on a beef tips and pasta dish.
On the 26th we got together to attend a matinee (4 p.m.)The Lion King at Mandalay Bay. It was a great show, even though I'm not a big fan of musicals. The kids really enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in a family-friendly Vegas show. After the show we all hit the MB Buffet and, again, ate til we were stuffed. I'm noticing a theme here... The 26th was also my 63rd birthday and I got a nice phone call from niece Katie. Always good to hear from her.
One poker highlight took place during the week. I was playing at Ballys when a guy sitting next to me hit a Royal Flush in Clubs. He held a Q-J of Clubs and the Flop had the A-K. The river card was the 10 of Clubs and the guy scooped up a $500 pot, plus a bonus of $6850. And all of us at the table were given $200 because of a promotion that Ballys calls "Roundtable Royals." So even though I lost $100 of my buy-in, the $200 made it a profitable day.
Scott and Lisa left on the 28th and returned to Grand Rapids via Denver. Their trip home went well and Helen and I are now returning to our regular routine - me playing poker, her keeping things organized in our apt and staying in touch with friends and family on the phone. And our LV adventure continues...
Helen and I had long been looking forward to their trip and we were not disappointed. It was a whirlwind week of fun. We did some typical tourist things on the Strip and enjoyed it even though it was a bit tiring. After arriving on the 22nd, we walked through the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood and ate dinner at the PH Buffet. Then kids were really impressed by the food variety and "all ya can eat" aspect of the buffet. We ate and ate til we were stuffed...
At the kids' request, Helen spent the night at their hotel - the Marriott, just off the Strip near PH.
On the 23rd (while I played poker), Helen took the group to visit the Bellagio lobby, conservatory and fountain show, then led them through the Caesar's Palace Forum shops on a shopping trip. They had a tasty lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in the Forum shops. On the 24th, Scott and Lisa visited with friends in Henderson, while Helen and I just relaxed a bit.
On the 25th, all of us had a nice lunch with Bruce and Sandi who arrived in town for a Garth Brooks concert. Lunch was at Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian and, once again, I overate on a beef tips and pasta dish.
On the 26th we got together to attend a matinee (4 p.m.)The Lion King at Mandalay Bay. It was a great show, even though I'm not a big fan of musicals. The kids really enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in a family-friendly Vegas show. After the show we all hit the MB Buffet and, again, ate til we were stuffed. I'm noticing a theme here... The 26th was also my 63rd birthday and I got a nice phone call from niece Katie. Always good to hear from her.
One poker highlight took place during the week. I was playing at Ballys when a guy sitting next to me hit a Royal Flush in Clubs. He held a Q-J of Clubs and the Flop had the A-K. The river card was the 10 of Clubs and the guy scooped up a $500 pot, plus a bonus of $6850. And all of us at the table were given $200 because of a promotion that Ballys calls "Roundtable Royals." So even though I lost $100 of my buy-in, the $200 made it a profitable day.
Scott and Lisa left on the 28th and returned to Grand Rapids via Denver. Their trip home went well and Helen and I are now returning to our regular routine - me playing poker, her keeping things organized in our apt and staying in touch with friends and family on the phone. And our LV adventure continues...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Poker Update
It's been a few days since I detailed my poker action, so it's time to catch up.
On Monday, the 21st, I had my most profitable day of the winter at Bally's. I got there about 10 a.m. and in three hours built a huge pile of chips. I got off to a great start, getting up over $150 early with some nice hands. The biggest pot I won - about $450, came when I looked down and found a measly pair of threes. Five of us put in $2 each to see the flop, which was A-4-3, all different suits, but giving me three of a kind.
I bet $15 and two guys folded, but one of the others raised it to $40 and the other guy called. I also called. The turn card was a King. I checked (thinking that when if either of the others raised, I would go All In with my $200 or so) and the original raiser went all in for $120. The other guy went all in for his last $112. I felt pretty confident that my three 3s were good. I put the original raiser on A-K and the other on Ace-something.
The other guys showed their cards and, as I expected, the original raiser had A-K for two pair. The other guy A-J and my threes took down the pile of chips. I didn't want to give this back, so I played very tight after that, but still took down a couple of pots. I eventually walked with a profit of $840 - my best day of the winter.
On Tuesday and Wednesday I played at Red Rock, trying to log enough hours to qualify for a big tourney set for April 16 and 17. Top prize is $40,000 and they pay the top 200 finishers $200 each. Heck, everyone who qualifies by playing 30 hours by the end of March will receive $75.
So I've been playing there when I can and have about 15 hours so far.
Tuesday was a very pleasant day and in about two hours, I won $70 with no big hands or big pots. Just a steady day against good solid players. Scott and Lisa and the kids arrived Tuesday
afternoon and we met up with them for dinner at the Planet Hollywood buffet. It was great to see them and they'll be here for a week.
Helen spent the night with Scott's family at the Marriott hotel, so I was up early Wednesday morning and over at the Red Rock. The poker didn't go so well, I got down early and rallied back to post a loss of only $23. But one of the highlights came in the casino's daily tournament. Former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser (and his wife) played in the tourney. Apparently he lives nearby and is a common sight at the Red Rock poker room. Anyway, he finished second at the table right next to mine. Another guy who deals at Ballys was also in the tourney and he finished fifth. Too bad they only paid the top four places! So, Jason played for four hours and just missed cashing, aaaaargh.
While I was playing on Wednesday, Helen spent the day shopping and sightseeing with Scott and his family. They had a great time, enjoying lunch at Planet Hollywood at Caesar's Palace, seeing the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and much more. Glad they were able to soak up some of Vegas' iconic sights.
And today our adventure continues...
On Monday, the 21st, I had my most profitable day of the winter at Bally's. I got there about 10 a.m. and in three hours built a huge pile of chips. I got off to a great start, getting up over $150 early with some nice hands. The biggest pot I won - about $450, came when I looked down and found a measly pair of threes. Five of us put in $2 each to see the flop, which was A-4-3, all different suits, but giving me three of a kind.
I bet $15 and two guys folded, but one of the others raised it to $40 and the other guy called. I also called. The turn card was a King. I checked (thinking that when if either of the others raised, I would go All In with my $200 or so) and the original raiser went all in for $120. The other guy went all in for his last $112. I felt pretty confident that my three 3s were good. I put the original raiser on A-K and the other on Ace-something.
The other guys showed their cards and, as I expected, the original raiser had A-K for two pair. The other guy A-J and my threes took down the pile of chips. I didn't want to give this back, so I played very tight after that, but still took down a couple of pots. I eventually walked with a profit of $840 - my best day of the winter.
On Tuesday and Wednesday I played at Red Rock, trying to log enough hours to qualify for a big tourney set for April 16 and 17. Top prize is $40,000 and they pay the top 200 finishers $200 each. Heck, everyone who qualifies by playing 30 hours by the end of March will receive $75.
So I've been playing there when I can and have about 15 hours so far.
Tuesday was a very pleasant day and in about two hours, I won $70 with no big hands or big pots. Just a steady day against good solid players. Scott and Lisa and the kids arrived Tuesday
afternoon and we met up with them for dinner at the Planet Hollywood buffet. It was great to see them and they'll be here for a week.
Helen spent the night with Scott's family at the Marriott hotel, so I was up early Wednesday morning and over at the Red Rock. The poker didn't go so well, I got down early and rallied back to post a loss of only $23. But one of the highlights came in the casino's daily tournament. Former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser (and his wife) played in the tourney. Apparently he lives nearby and is a common sight at the Red Rock poker room. Anyway, he finished second at the table right next to mine. Another guy who deals at Ballys was also in the tourney and he finished fifth. Too bad they only paid the top four places! So, Jason played for four hours and just missed cashing, aaaaargh.
While I was playing on Wednesday, Helen spent the day shopping and sightseeing with Scott and his family. They had a great time, enjoying lunch at Planet Hollywood at Caesar's Palace, seeing the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and much more. Glad they were able to soak up some of Vegas' iconic sights.
And today our adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Valentine's Day Adventure and More
On Valentine's Day Helen and I made another attempt to locate some of the wild ponies and burros near the Red Rock Canyon Natural Area.
We headed out in the early afternoon in search of the animals, some 10-15 miles west of our apartment. The area is beautiful and the road climbs steadily in altitude as we meander up into the mountains. The temp dropped steadily from 62, 59, 54 as we climbed. But after about an hour of driving, we didn't see any wild animals at all.
So we headed down to the Strip to have an early dinner and ended up at BB King's BBQ place at the Mirage. I had eaten breakfast there once last year, but Helen had never been there so she really was excited to check it out. We had a great meal - Helen had a pulled pork dinner with baked beans and slaw, while I opted for a big combo platter of BBQ chicken and ribs along with beans and slaw. Both meals also came with a tasty cornbread muffin and we had beverages. The bill came to $59 including tip. Good Eatin' and we're already talking about going back there.
We also exchanged Valentine's cards and I bought us a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate squares that we've been munching on for the past couple of days.
Yesterday I headed to MGM to play poker, while Helen did laundry and talked with friends on the phone. My poker went OK, but had great potential that didn't pan out.
After about two hours of playing, I looked down at two Red Aces. It's pretty uncommon to get Aces - a 1-220 longshot. Anyway, I bet 5 guys put in their $2 blinds, but when I raised to $6 they all folded. A big hand, but no big pot.
I was a bit disappointed when I looked at my VERY NEXT HAND and found TWO BLACK ACES. Aces back-to-back!! Here's my chance to make up for the last hand, I thought.
Again, five guys paid $2 for their blinds and this time, instead of raising, I just called.
The flop came K-Q-6 and I hoped someone hit a king. So I bet $5 and EVERYONE FOLDED again!! AAAAARGH!!!!!
That was the highlight of my poker session, which saw me take home a profit of $22. Better a small win than a small loss...
On the way home, I stopped at the Middle East Market for fresh pita bread, hummus and Kalamata Olives. We'll have that for dinner tonight. Last night's dinner was scrambled eggs with onions and red peppers. With some of those chocolate squares for dessert.
This morning Helen plans to go to her Bible Study group, while I get some bills paid. Maybe this afternoon I'll head to Red Rock for some hoops bets or blackjack. And so our adventure continues...
We headed out in the early afternoon in search of the animals, some 10-15 miles west of our apartment. The area is beautiful and the road climbs steadily in altitude as we meander up into the mountains. The temp dropped steadily from 62, 59, 54 as we climbed. But after about an hour of driving, we didn't see any wild animals at all.
So we headed down to the Strip to have an early dinner and ended up at BB King's BBQ place at the Mirage. I had eaten breakfast there once last year, but Helen had never been there so she really was excited to check it out. We had a great meal - Helen had a pulled pork dinner with baked beans and slaw, while I opted for a big combo platter of BBQ chicken and ribs along with beans and slaw. Both meals also came with a tasty cornbread muffin and we had beverages. The bill came to $59 including tip. Good Eatin' and we're already talking about going back there.
We also exchanged Valentine's cards and I bought us a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate squares that we've been munching on for the past couple of days.
Yesterday I headed to MGM to play poker, while Helen did laundry and talked with friends on the phone. My poker went OK, but had great potential that didn't pan out.
After about two hours of playing, I looked down at two Red Aces. It's pretty uncommon to get Aces - a 1-220 longshot. Anyway, I bet 5 guys put in their $2 blinds, but when I raised to $6 they all folded. A big hand, but no big pot.
I was a bit disappointed when I looked at my VERY NEXT HAND and found TWO BLACK ACES. Aces back-to-back!! Here's my chance to make up for the last hand, I thought.
Again, five guys paid $2 for their blinds and this time, instead of raising, I just called.
The flop came K-Q-6 and I hoped someone hit a king. So I bet $5 and EVERYONE FOLDED again!! AAAAARGH!!!!!
That was the highlight of my poker session, which saw me take home a profit of $22. Better a small win than a small loss...
On the way home, I stopped at the Middle East Market for fresh pita bread, hummus and Kalamata Olives. We'll have that for dinner tonight. Last night's dinner was scrambled eggs with onions and red peppers. With some of those chocolate squares for dessert.
This morning Helen plans to go to her Bible Study group, while I get some bills paid. Maybe this afternoon I'll head to Red Rock for some hoops bets or blackjack. And so our adventure continues...
Friday, February 11, 2011
Poker & Celebrities, sort of
On Thursday I wanted to try a new poker venue - the Monte Carlo.
I hadn't played there since last year and wanted to check it out. So I drove down to the Strip, arriving about 10 or so. The poker action was dead with only a $2-4 limit game going on. I left my name and the mgr. said the no limit games usually start by 11 so I killed time playing video blackjack and buying a hockey parlay for my friend Terry.
About 1045 I was back again checking at the poker room...still no game. So I went over to McDonalds and had a quarter pounder. About 1130 I was back at the poker room - still no game, but they took my cell number and promised to call when the game began. I played a little more video blackjack - winning $20 - before deciding to cross the street to the MGM's poker room.
I got a seat right away and played for about an hour when I got my best hand. My three aces beat a woman's three kings to win a $100 pot. That was the highlight.
But about 2 p.m. or so I got a call from the Monte Carlo poker room that my seat was available. Sorry, I'm already playing. Soon after I heard a booming deep voice and immediately recognized it as Brad Garrett - Robert Barone in "Everybody Loves Raymond." He was playing at the next table behind me and stood up away from his table to make a phone call. He was about 5 feet away from me talking about setting up a meeting. Apparently he lives in LA, but comes to Vegas 2 or 3 times a month where he runs a comedy club at the Tropicana. And he likes poker, playing in a lot of celeb tournies, etc.
So at my table, just two seats to my left, was a 30-ish looking woman who said she was from Calgary Canada. She was chatting with the guy between us and said she was a HUGE Red Wings fan. I asked her how does a woman from Calgary become a Wings Fan?
"Chris Osgood is my brother-in-law," she says.
Lots of lies get told at poker tables, so I was skeptical until Melody whipped out her phone and showed me pics of Ozzie and his little girl eating cereal out of the Stanley Cup. Also a great pic of Melody kissing Lord Stanley's Cup. Very cool. So we talked about the Wings - she's liked Ciccarelli, Shanny and, of course, Stevie Y. Outside of Ozzie, none of the current Wings light her fire, she said. I told her I like Darren Helm, Datysuk and Lidstrom...
As for the poker, I lost $25 and another $20 on a hoops parlay (UConn killed that).
Today I wrote an article for the TC Business News about a robotics club that is working on building driverless trucks for the military. We're heading to Wal-Mart for a bit of shopping and I need to buy a hoops ticket for Terry who likes over the total for the Miami-Pistons game.
And so our adventure continues...
I hadn't played there since last year and wanted to check it out. So I drove down to the Strip, arriving about 10 or so. The poker action was dead with only a $2-4 limit game going on. I left my name and the mgr. said the no limit games usually start by 11 so I killed time playing video blackjack and buying a hockey parlay for my friend Terry.
About 1045 I was back again checking at the poker room...still no game. So I went over to McDonalds and had a quarter pounder. About 1130 I was back at the poker room - still no game, but they took my cell number and promised to call when the game began. I played a little more video blackjack - winning $20 - before deciding to cross the street to the MGM's poker room.
I got a seat right away and played for about an hour when I got my best hand. My three aces beat a woman's three kings to win a $100 pot. That was the highlight.
But about 2 p.m. or so I got a call from the Monte Carlo poker room that my seat was available. Sorry, I'm already playing. Soon after I heard a booming deep voice and immediately recognized it as Brad Garrett - Robert Barone in "Everybody Loves Raymond." He was playing at the next table behind me and stood up away from his table to make a phone call. He was about 5 feet away from me talking about setting up a meeting. Apparently he lives in LA, but comes to Vegas 2 or 3 times a month where he runs a comedy club at the Tropicana. And he likes poker, playing in a lot of celeb tournies, etc.
So at my table, just two seats to my left, was a 30-ish looking woman who said she was from Calgary Canada. She was chatting with the guy between us and said she was a HUGE Red Wings fan. I asked her how does a woman from Calgary become a Wings Fan?
"Chris Osgood is my brother-in-law," she says.
Lots of lies get told at poker tables, so I was skeptical until Melody whipped out her phone and showed me pics of Ozzie and his little girl eating cereal out of the Stanley Cup. Also a great pic of Melody kissing Lord Stanley's Cup. Very cool. So we talked about the Wings - she's liked Ciccarelli, Shanny and, of course, Stevie Y. Outside of Ozzie, none of the current Wings light her fire, she said. I told her I like Darren Helm, Datysuk and Lidstrom...
As for the poker, I lost $25 and another $20 on a hoops parlay (UConn killed that).
Today I wrote an article for the TC Business News about a robotics club that is working on building driverless trucks for the military. We're heading to Wal-Mart for a bit of shopping and I need to buy a hoops ticket for Terry who likes over the total for the Miami-Pistons game.
And so our adventure continues...
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Bowl Poker
Super Bowl Sunday began with services at the Lakes Lutheran Church.
Then it was off to the Strip where I played poker at the Mirage, which was hosting a special Super Bowl promotion. They were giving out bonuses for every score or turnover in the game. For example, for a TD they would randomly pick a number from 1 to 10 corresponding to the 10 seats at the table and whoever was in that seat would get cash, from $25 to $100. I was in seat #2 and snagged $25 when the Pack tacked on their last FG. One guy - in the 9 seat - had his number called 4 times and collected over $200 in bonuses.
Thinking back, I think there were 12 bonuses collected and every seat at our table except #5 and #1 got some cash. The Mirage has to be happy with the promotion, since the poker room was jammed from about an hour before the game until it was over. That's about 4 hours of hectic poker action.
Despite the bonus, I still dropped $55 playing poker for about 8 hours.
I got about half of that back when my lone SB bet - $30 on over 44.5 - connected. After studying a lot of prop bets, I decided to keep it simple and it paid off. My good friend Nick also had a winning ticket on the over and congratulations to my buddy Gary, who bet the Pack to win the SB about 3 weeks ago and got them at 4-1 odds.
The only thing missing was traditional SB food. Love me some chicken wings and stuff. But our table was a pretty friendly bunch and when two of the guys went for takeout pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen, they shared a slice with me and a couple of others. It was a really fun day and one I'll long remember, despite the cash lost.
And today our adventure will continue...
Then it was off to the Strip where I played poker at the Mirage, which was hosting a special Super Bowl promotion. They were giving out bonuses for every score or turnover in the game. For example, for a TD they would randomly pick a number from 1 to 10 corresponding to the 10 seats at the table and whoever was in that seat would get cash, from $25 to $100. I was in seat #2 and snagged $25 when the Pack tacked on their last FG. One guy - in the 9 seat - had his number called 4 times and collected over $200 in bonuses.
Thinking back, I think there were 12 bonuses collected and every seat at our table except #5 and #1 got some cash. The Mirage has to be happy with the promotion, since the poker room was jammed from about an hour before the game until it was over. That's about 4 hours of hectic poker action.
Despite the bonus, I still dropped $55 playing poker for about 8 hours.
I got about half of that back when my lone SB bet - $30 on over 44.5 - connected. After studying a lot of prop bets, I decided to keep it simple and it paid off. My good friend Nick also had a winning ticket on the over and congratulations to my buddy Gary, who bet the Pack to win the SB about 3 weeks ago and got them at 4-1 odds.
The only thing missing was traditional SB food. Love me some chicken wings and stuff. But our table was a pretty friendly bunch and when two of the guys went for takeout pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen, they shared a slice with me and a couple of others. It was a really fun day and one I'll long remember, despite the cash lost.
And today our adventure will continue...
Friday, February 4, 2011
Friday update
Yesterday morning finished up an article I wrote for the Ticker web site. It's about the expansion plans for the Grand Traverse Health Dept.'s dental clinic.
I got it done, then headed down to the Imperial Palace to play some poker. I parked at Bill's then made the walk down to the IP where there was a game with four other players underway. I sat right down, bought in for $100 and played tight for the first 30 minutes or so. Then I lost a couple of hands and had a stack of about $60 in front of me when I looked down at A-J of diamonds. I called the $2 blind and saw a flop of Q-8-2 ALL DIAMONDS.
I had flopped the Nut Flush and waited patiently as one of the other players bet $10. Two of us called the $10. The turn was Ace of clubs. I hoped that gave someone a pair of aces. One of the other guys bet his last $30, the other guy folded and I called. The river was no help, maybe a 3 of clubs or something. I showed my flush and the other guy mucked his hand as the dealer shoved the pot my way.
I won another nice pot when my K-Q of Hearts resulted in two pair - kings and queens. Shortly after that hand I left - up $102 - and walked to Ballys where I had a comped turkey, swiss and bacon sandwich. Then I headed home.
For dinner I whipped up some submarine sandwiches - turkey, cheese and sliced avocado. We watched the NBC comedy shows and I crashed early, about 9:30 or so.
Today I went over to Red Rock in the morning and played some blackjack, losing $45. Then about noon I came home and made us turkey sandwiches for lunch.
Helen wanted to get her hair done, so about 1 or so I drove her to the hair salon and came home. While she was at the salon, I paid some bills and checked my emails. Then about 1.5 hours later, Helen called and I drove over to pick her up.
Tonight for dinner, I made sweet and sour chicken over rice. It was tasty and filling.
Tomorrow I hope to play some more poker on the Strip, which is filling up as folks rush into town for the Super Bowl. Hopefully there will be some sleep-deprived, alcohol-imbibing, yahoos that I can separate from their poker chips. As you can see, our adventure continues...
I got it done, then headed down to the Imperial Palace to play some poker. I parked at Bill's then made the walk down to the IP where there was a game with four other players underway. I sat right down, bought in for $100 and played tight for the first 30 minutes or so. Then I lost a couple of hands and had a stack of about $60 in front of me when I looked down at A-J of diamonds. I called the $2 blind and saw a flop of Q-8-2 ALL DIAMONDS.
I had flopped the Nut Flush and waited patiently as one of the other players bet $10. Two of us called the $10. The turn was Ace of clubs. I hoped that gave someone a pair of aces. One of the other guys bet his last $30, the other guy folded and I called. The river was no help, maybe a 3 of clubs or something. I showed my flush and the other guy mucked his hand as the dealer shoved the pot my way.
I won another nice pot when my K-Q of Hearts resulted in two pair - kings and queens. Shortly after that hand I left - up $102 - and walked to Ballys where I had a comped turkey, swiss and bacon sandwich. Then I headed home.
For dinner I whipped up some submarine sandwiches - turkey, cheese and sliced avocado. We watched the NBC comedy shows and I crashed early, about 9:30 or so.
Today I went over to Red Rock in the morning and played some blackjack, losing $45. Then about noon I came home and made us turkey sandwiches for lunch.
Helen wanted to get her hair done, so about 1 or so I drove her to the hair salon and came home. While she was at the salon, I paid some bills and checked my emails. Then about 1.5 hours later, Helen called and I drove over to pick her up.
Tonight for dinner, I made sweet and sour chicken over rice. It was tasty and filling.
Tomorrow I hope to play some more poker on the Strip, which is filling up as folks rush into town for the Super Bowl. Hopefully there will be some sleep-deprived, alcohol-imbibing, yahoos that I can separate from their poker chips. As you can see, our adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Hot Hand at Harrah's
On Monday I spent a few hours playing poker at the Imperial Palace.
It was one of the strangest sessions of the winter. I was seated in the #1 seat, right at the dealer's left and next to one of the biggest @#*&%$ jerks I've encountered at a poker table. He was a 20-something uber-dude who thought he was the greatest poker player since Phil Ivey. He constantly complained about his hands and how he should have won each hand.
The jerk claimed to have been playing for 17 hours straight, living on Red Bull and Vodka. He shouted loudly at other players, sparking near fights. Tensions were running higher than usual and twice the poker room mgr. came over and warned he and others about their language and behavior. Eventually this guy, who was from Bloomfield Hills, cashed out and the game settled down.
I took all the money from some Asian kid from Houston and that enabled me to walk with a slight profit of $26. That covered the cost of dinner - a $10 Papa John's pizza!!
Tuesday I drove down to the Strip, parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and walked down to Harrah's to play. It's been weeks since I played there and at 10 a.m. there was no $1-2 game going. But I was the fifth player to show up and a game got started. Within 30 minutes there were 10 of us at the table.
I had one big hand. Looking down at my cards I saw A-J of Hearts and raised the $2 blind to $7, getting 3 callers. The flop came Q-7-2- ALL HEARTS. I flopped the highest possible (or Nut) flush. I bet $10 and got only one caller. The turn was Ace of spades. I bet $20 and my lone opponent raised to $40. I just called, not wanting to scare him away. The river was a J of clubs.
There was no way he had a full house and now I just needed to decide how much I could bet to have him call. He had about $60 left, so I bet $40 and he didn't hesitate much when he said "ALL-In" shoving his chips into the pot. I quickly called and flopped my A-J flush. He showed his A-Q of diamonds. He had two pair and went to his wallet to rebuy as the dealer pushed the pot my way.
Largely because of that pot, I was able to post a profit of $130 for the day. I left the table about 1:30 and walked to Bally's - partly for exercise and partly to have a chicken salad sandwich (comped of course) for lunch.
Prior to hitting the snack bar, I went to Ballys poker room to pick up a magazine to read. One of the dealer's spotted me and shouted out "Al, sit down we've got a game starting." No thanks, I'm just getting some reading material to have lunch at Nosh. He asked me to stop by after lunch and I said maybe, knowing full well that I was heading home with my profit for the day...
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone with grandson Michael, doing some sewing and just resting. I made us a dinner of Sante Fe chicken (thanks Weight watchers). It's pretty cool here in Vegas today with a low in the mid 20s and a high today in the mid 40s. But by the weekend it'll be back into the 60s. No matter what the temp, the sun seems to always shine.
And today our adventure continues...
It was one of the strangest sessions of the winter. I was seated in the #1 seat, right at the dealer's left and next to one of the biggest @#*&%$ jerks I've encountered at a poker table. He was a 20-something uber-dude who thought he was the greatest poker player since Phil Ivey. He constantly complained about his hands and how he should have won each hand.
The jerk claimed to have been playing for 17 hours straight, living on Red Bull and Vodka. He shouted loudly at other players, sparking near fights. Tensions were running higher than usual and twice the poker room mgr. came over and warned he and others about their language and behavior. Eventually this guy, who was from Bloomfield Hills, cashed out and the game settled down.
I took all the money from some Asian kid from Houston and that enabled me to walk with a slight profit of $26. That covered the cost of dinner - a $10 Papa John's pizza!!
Tuesday I drove down to the Strip, parked at Bill's Gambling Hall and walked down to Harrah's to play. It's been weeks since I played there and at 10 a.m. there was no $1-2 game going. But I was the fifth player to show up and a game got started. Within 30 minutes there were 10 of us at the table.
I had one big hand. Looking down at my cards I saw A-J of Hearts and raised the $2 blind to $7, getting 3 callers. The flop came Q-7-2- ALL HEARTS. I flopped the highest possible (or Nut) flush. I bet $10 and got only one caller. The turn was Ace of spades. I bet $20 and my lone opponent raised to $40. I just called, not wanting to scare him away. The river was a J of clubs.
There was no way he had a full house and now I just needed to decide how much I could bet to have him call. He had about $60 left, so I bet $40 and he didn't hesitate much when he said "ALL-In" shoving his chips into the pot. I quickly called and flopped my A-J flush. He showed his A-Q of diamonds. He had two pair and went to his wallet to rebuy as the dealer pushed the pot my way.
Largely because of that pot, I was able to post a profit of $130 for the day. I left the table about 1:30 and walked to Bally's - partly for exercise and partly to have a chicken salad sandwich (comped of course) for lunch.
Prior to hitting the snack bar, I went to Ballys poker room to pick up a magazine to read. One of the dealer's spotted me and shouted out "Al, sit down we've got a game starting." No thanks, I'm just getting some reading material to have lunch at Nosh. He asked me to stop by after lunch and I said maybe, knowing full well that I was heading home with my profit for the day...
While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone with grandson Michael, doing some sewing and just resting. I made us a dinner of Sante Fe chicken (thanks Weight watchers). It's pretty cool here in Vegas today with a low in the mid 20s and a high today in the mid 40s. But by the weekend it'll be back into the 60s. No matter what the temp, the sun seems to always shine.
And today our adventure continues...
Monday, January 31, 2011
Hunting Wild Ponies and Burros
Helen didn't feel like going to church Sunday, so we had a leisurely morning. I went over to the Suncoast for a couple of hours to check out the hoops games for the day and play a little blackjack. I won $35 and on the way home, just before noon, I filled up the gas tank for $45. That's where my profits often go - into the tank where the cheapest gas is $3.07 a gallon here in LV.
While I was gone, Helen got online and emailed our friend Diane Johnston who is dealing with some serious health issues. She's in our thoughts and prayers.
For lunch I made us turkey sandwiches and we just watched a little TV before hitting the road about 1 or so. We were in search of the herds of wild horses and burros that live out near the Red Rock Natural Area, some 10 miles from our apartment.
When we started it was a sunny day, but as we drove the sky got cloudier and began spitting rain. We made our way up the mountains and even ran into some hail before we turned around and backtracked in search of the herds. We logged about 50 miles on our drive, stopping a few times along the way, but sadly, no wild animals were seen on this day. Maybe the blustery weather had them taking shelter away from the roadways. We'll try again.
So we drove over to the Suncoast to enjoy the two-for-one fajita special at the Mexican restaurant Miquel's. In the morning I had secured a $36 comp from one of the pit bosses I know, Gordon Smith, and we played video blackjack (winning $1) before we headed into Miguel's. The meal started with the usual chips and salsa dips, but this place offers up a VERY tasty bean dip and tasty picante sauce. Then came our fajitas - one of steak and one of chicken. We shared them both and they were DELICIOUS!
They came with plenty of toppings, refried beans and rice. Both of us ate til we were stuffed. With our two diet Pepsis, the bill came to $30 and I left a $5 tip. But with the comp, the only cost was the tip.
After eating, we played a little more video blackjack - winning $5 to cover the cost of our tip. So the entire meal was FREE. Ya gotta love that...
Sunday night we just relaxed and watched some TV. But today our adventure continues...
While I was gone, Helen got online and emailed our friend Diane Johnston who is dealing with some serious health issues. She's in our thoughts and prayers.
For lunch I made us turkey sandwiches and we just watched a little TV before hitting the road about 1 or so. We were in search of the herds of wild horses and burros that live out near the Red Rock Natural Area, some 10 miles from our apartment.
When we started it was a sunny day, but as we drove the sky got cloudier and began spitting rain. We made our way up the mountains and even ran into some hail before we turned around and backtracked in search of the herds. We logged about 50 miles on our drive, stopping a few times along the way, but sadly, no wild animals were seen on this day. Maybe the blustery weather had them taking shelter away from the roadways. We'll try again.
So we drove over to the Suncoast to enjoy the two-for-one fajita special at the Mexican restaurant Miquel's. In the morning I had secured a $36 comp from one of the pit bosses I know, Gordon Smith, and we played video blackjack (winning $1) before we headed into Miguel's. The meal started with the usual chips and salsa dips, but this place offers up a VERY tasty bean dip and tasty picante sauce. Then came our fajitas - one of steak and one of chicken. We shared them both and they were DELICIOUS!
They came with plenty of toppings, refried beans and rice. Both of us ate til we were stuffed. With our two diet Pepsis, the bill came to $30 and I left a $5 tip. But with the comp, the only cost was the tip.
After eating, we played a little more video blackjack - winning $5 to cover the cost of our tip. So the entire meal was FREE. Ya gotta love that...
Sunday night we just relaxed and watched some TV. But today our adventure continues...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Red Rock Road Trips
On Friday, Helen and I set off on a road trip to the Red Rock Natural Area.
It's not really much of a road trip, since Red Rock Canyon is only about 10-12 miles away from our apartment. But it's like another world from the glitter of the strip. Here it's a stunningly beautiful rocky mountainous area that draws millions of hikers, rock climbers and just plain visitors each year.
We spent over an hour driving through the 13-mile scenic tour, stopping a few times to watch hikers and climbers do their thing along the red rocky cliffs.
Saturday was a poker day for me. I went down to Ballys where I spent about 5 hours trying to wrest a profit from the hands of half-drunk tourists and a few local players. Unfortunately it was a futile effort as my good hands were beaten by better hands. After an up and down, down, down day, I ended up dropping $50. Not that bad, considering I had very few playable hands.
While I was at the tables, Helen did some vacuuming from her walker and talked with Anna on the phone.
Today Helen decided to forego church. We're heading back to the Red Rock region to see if we can see some of the wild ponies and burros that make the area their home. Then we're heading to the Suncoast for an early dinner of fajitas at Miguel's - the casino's mexican eatery. They're offering a special that ends today - two fajita dinners for the price of one! Cha-ching!!
And so our LV gastronomic adventure continues...
It's not really much of a road trip, since Red Rock Canyon is only about 10-12 miles away from our apartment. But it's like another world from the glitter of the strip. Here it's a stunningly beautiful rocky mountainous area that draws millions of hikers, rock climbers and just plain visitors each year.
We spent over an hour driving through the 13-mile scenic tour, stopping a few times to watch hikers and climbers do their thing along the red rocky cliffs.
Saturday was a poker day for me. I went down to Ballys where I spent about 5 hours trying to wrest a profit from the hands of half-drunk tourists and a few local players. Unfortunately it was a futile effort as my good hands were beaten by better hands. After an up and down, down, down day, I ended up dropping $50. Not that bad, considering I had very few playable hands.
While I was at the tables, Helen did some vacuuming from her walker and talked with Anna on the phone.
Today Helen decided to forego church. We're heading back to the Red Rock region to see if we can see some of the wild ponies and burros that make the area their home. Then we're heading to the Suncoast for an early dinner of fajitas at Miguel's - the casino's mexican eatery. They're offering a special that ends today - two fajita dinners for the price of one! Cha-ching!!
And so our LV gastronomic adventure continues...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
IP Poker - Best Hand Ever!
Wednesday morning I headed down to the Strip to play poker at the Imperial Palace where they recently installed some new bonuses for high hands.
Prior to Monday, the IP only paid $200 for Royal Flushes - nothing for straight flushes or four-of-a-kind. Now they offer $250 for Royals, $100 for straight flushes and $50 for quads. That's money that comes from the casino, in addition to any cash won in the pot.
I got there about 10:30 and within the first 45 minutes got the best hand I ever had - ever!
I looked down at my hole cards and found 8-8. Five of us matched the $2 blind and saw the flop of 8-J-8. I FLOPPED QUAD 8S... I played it cool, hoping that someone would make a straight or flush and just called when a guy bet $10.
The other three hands folded, so I was head up against a German tourist, who bet $15 when an Ace hit the turn. Again, I merely called, not wanting to scare him away and hoping he had something like A-J for two big pair. The River was a 4, not much help either way. But my opponent again bet $25, and I immediately put him All in with a raise to $50. He hemmed and hawed, but finally called and I flopped over my 8s.
With the $50 bonus, I won over $120 in this pot. Not my biggest pot ever, but the highest hand I've ever had. I've had quads two other times - deuces and treys.
Unfortunately, that was the highlight. In fact, when the dust settled, I gave back all my profits and actually lost $40. Some bad luck on the river, combined with not walking when I was up about $80 was a big mistake. Though I only lost $40, I felt like I lost a lot more since I was up almost $100 at one point. AAAAArgh!!
On the way home I picked up Capriotti's sub sandwiches - a pastrami for me and a turkey sub for Helen, who spent the day on the phone with friends, online, sewing and watching some TV.
Today I need to do some grocery shopping, banking and gas up the car. Maybe I'll try some local poker at Red Rock (where I've never played) or Suncoast. And so our LV adventure continues...
Prior to Monday, the IP only paid $200 for Royal Flushes - nothing for straight flushes or four-of-a-kind. Now they offer $250 for Royals, $100 for straight flushes and $50 for quads. That's money that comes from the casino, in addition to any cash won in the pot.
I got there about 10:30 and within the first 45 minutes got the best hand I ever had - ever!
I looked down at my hole cards and found 8-8. Five of us matched the $2 blind and saw the flop of 8-J-8. I FLOPPED QUAD 8S... I played it cool, hoping that someone would make a straight or flush and just called when a guy bet $10.
The other three hands folded, so I was head up against a German tourist, who bet $15 when an Ace hit the turn. Again, I merely called, not wanting to scare him away and hoping he had something like A-J for two big pair. The River was a 4, not much help either way. But my opponent again bet $25, and I immediately put him All in with a raise to $50. He hemmed and hawed, but finally called and I flopped over my 8s.
With the $50 bonus, I won over $120 in this pot. Not my biggest pot ever, but the highest hand I've ever had. I've had quads two other times - deuces and treys.
Unfortunately, that was the highlight. In fact, when the dust settled, I gave back all my profits and actually lost $40. Some bad luck on the river, combined with not walking when I was up about $80 was a big mistake. Though I only lost $40, I felt like I lost a lot more since I was up almost $100 at one point. AAAAArgh!!
On the way home I picked up Capriotti's sub sandwiches - a pastrami for me and a turkey sub for Helen, who spent the day on the phone with friends, online, sewing and watching some TV.
Today I need to do some grocery shopping, banking and gas up the car. Maybe I'll try some local poker at Red Rock (where I've never played) or Suncoast. And so our LV adventure continues...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A Day at the Apartment
Monday was a quiet day at the apartment.
All morning I worked on an article I'm writing for The Ticker web site about how Grand Traverse County is getting ready to dump its youth baseball program, which last year offered baseball games for 551 youngsters on 41 teams. Not sure who might pick up the program, but the American Legion may step up so the kids can play this year. They ran it for 61 years, til last year. I was waiting for some call backs, so I decided to just not visit a casino.
Then I fixed us a lunch of ham and turkey sandwiches while we watched some TV and relaxed. I went online, played some Tetris, caught up on some reading. Pretty boring day, huh? Dinner was orange chicken over rice.
On Sunday, Helen and I started the day with the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Then by 10 o'clock I was at the Suncoast to pick up a parlay ticket on the playoff games. Then went home to watch the games with Helen after losing $30 in video blackjack. Went with my friend Terry on a $60 ($40 for him, $20 for me) parlay of both games over the total. It would have paid $210, but died when the GB-Chicago game fell short of the 43.5 total. The second game was a winner, over 38.5. So for the day, I lost $50.
Helen and I watched the games together and she's getting to finally understand how football works. She says the yellow first down line makes it much easier for her to get the game. Anyway, it was fun watching with her.
For dinner we had bowtie pasta with marinara sauce and a side salad of mixed baby green, tomatoes and red onions. Then it was TV til lights out...but today our adventure continues...
All morning I worked on an article I'm writing for The Ticker web site about how Grand Traverse County is getting ready to dump its youth baseball program, which last year offered baseball games for 551 youngsters on 41 teams. Not sure who might pick up the program, but the American Legion may step up so the kids can play this year. They ran it for 61 years, til last year. I was waiting for some call backs, so I decided to just not visit a casino.
Then I fixed us a lunch of ham and turkey sandwiches while we watched some TV and relaxed. I went online, played some Tetris, caught up on some reading. Pretty boring day, huh? Dinner was orange chicken over rice.
On Sunday, Helen and I started the day with the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Then by 10 o'clock I was at the Suncoast to pick up a parlay ticket on the playoff games. Then went home to watch the games with Helen after losing $30 in video blackjack. Went with my friend Terry on a $60 ($40 for him, $20 for me) parlay of both games over the total. It would have paid $210, but died when the GB-Chicago game fell short of the 43.5 total. The second game was a winner, over 38.5. So for the day, I lost $50.
Helen and I watched the games together and she's getting to finally understand how football works. She says the yellow first down line makes it much easier for her to get the game. Anyway, it was fun watching with her.
For dinner we had bowtie pasta with marinara sauce and a side salad of mixed baby green, tomatoes and red onions. Then it was TV til lights out...but today our adventure continues...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Suncoast Visit
Thursday morning I did some grocery shopping at the local Albertson's, mailed some bills, gassed up the car and got it washed.
Then it was off to the Suncoast, where I wanted to check out the basketball menu. Saw a few interesting games, so I played a $20 4-team moneyline parlay that would pay $140 if Wright State, Portland, Maryland and New Mexico State could just win. Three favorites and a -2 underdog. Seems reasonable, right? Nope. Only Wright State posted a win, after trailing for most of the game. Ya never know...
While at the Suncoast I jumped into a blackjack game and played for about an hour, walking away with $130. I also got a lunch comp from one of the pit bosses, so I enjoyed some almond chicken, fried rice, steamed broccoli, green peppers and beef and a slab of carrot cake for dessert. I finished off my visit with a little video blackjack and was lucky to post a $30 profit. So for the day I was up $140.
I got home about 1:30 or so and Helen was on the phone with her lifelong friend, Sandy Graves who lives in the state of Washington. They literally talked for hours! Prior to the call, Helen was overseeing a repair of our front-loading washer. The latch on the door broke, but it looks like the company sent the wrong part to fix it, so that's something we're still dealing with. Not a crisis, but an inconvenience.
For dinner, we recycled some leftover BBQ from Famous Dave's. Helen had brisket and I chowed down on chicken and ribs. I made a tasty side salad for us with organic greens and mandarin orange slices, topped by a honey mustard dressing.
Then we watched TV and relaxed for the evening. But today our adventure continues...
Then it was off to the Suncoast, where I wanted to check out the basketball menu. Saw a few interesting games, so I played a $20 4-team moneyline parlay that would pay $140 if Wright State, Portland, Maryland and New Mexico State could just win. Three favorites and a -2 underdog. Seems reasonable, right? Nope. Only Wright State posted a win, after trailing for most of the game. Ya never know...
While at the Suncoast I jumped into a blackjack game and played for about an hour, walking away with $130. I also got a lunch comp from one of the pit bosses, so I enjoyed some almond chicken, fried rice, steamed broccoli, green peppers and beef and a slab of carrot cake for dessert. I finished off my visit with a little video blackjack and was lucky to post a $30 profit. So for the day I was up $140.
I got home about 1:30 or so and Helen was on the phone with her lifelong friend, Sandy Graves who lives in the state of Washington. They literally talked for hours! Prior to the call, Helen was overseeing a repair of our front-loading washer. The latch on the door broke, but it looks like the company sent the wrong part to fix it, so that's something we're still dealing with. Not a crisis, but an inconvenience.
For dinner, we recycled some leftover BBQ from Famous Dave's. Helen had brisket and I chowed down on chicken and ribs. I made a tasty side salad for us with organic greens and mandarin orange slices, topped by a honey mustard dressing.
Then we watched TV and relaxed for the evening. But today our adventure continues...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Bellagio Visit and Poker Update
It's a beautiful sunny morning here in LV with a high temp expected near 60 - a good time to sit down and detail a few recent happenings.
Monday was a Return-to-Poker day for me. I played at the Imperial Palace and won some nice cash, all in a three-in-a-row hand hot streak. First, I was dealt Q-Q and they held up for a $40 pot. Very next hand I looked down and saw A-A. I bet $7 and got a couple of callers. The flop came A-K-3. We all checked and when the turn came a Q, I checked to see who might bet and was thrilled when one guy bet $30. The other called with his last $20
I went into full-blown acting mode. I pretended to try to decide whether to call or not, but eventually I raised him another $60. He hesitated a bit, then shoved in the rest of his stack - another $40 or so. The river was a 4 and didn't help at all. The guy showed his K-Q for two pair, while the other guy mucked his hand. I showed my Trip Aces and the dealer shoved the hefty pot my way!
The very next hand, I had A-K and took down another pot worth $40 or so... Three great hands, three sweet wins. I played 4-5 more hands, then left. A $170 winner.
On Tuesday, Helen and I drove down to the Bellagio to check out the new Conservatory display, which honors the Chinese New Year. 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit and the displays feature many amazing topiary bunnies. There's also a unique chariot pulled by four horses, lots of bamboo, burning incense and more great floral displays. As usual, all of the features are made of floral items, crushed nuts, seeds and other natural items. It's always cool to see how creative the designers are.
While at Bellagio, we visited the sports book and I put $20 on MSU+4.5 vs. Illinois. That was a loser as the Spartans couldn't shoot to save their lives. Despite holding the Illini to one field goal in the last 10 minutes, the Spartans lost by 9.
Helen hadn't been to Caesars Palace yet, so we wandered over there to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We were seated out in the patio area so we could do some people watching and see the huge fish-filled aquarium only a few feet away. Our meal was great - tasty and huge!
Helen opted for a blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries, while I went for a hefty slab of meatloaf topped with grilled onions & mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie succotash. This great meal was $31, but lucky us, we received a survey request on our receipt and should be getting a $10 Cheesecake gift card for answering the survey.
We played some video poker and Wheel of Fortune at CP, but didn't do too well. Including our hoops bet, we lost $32.
After running a few errands, Wednesday was another poker day for me. I drove down to Bill's Gambling Hall and walked over to the IP where I learned that a guy committed suicide on Monday afternoon. Seems he jumped from one of the higher floors and landed between Harrah's and the IP. Sad that someone had to feel life was too difficult to deal with.
It was quiet at the poker room, but I waited there a while talking with the poker mgr. Jake and a couple of dealers. Then one other player showed and Jake gave each of us a special "2008 World Series of Poker" card protector for staying around and helping to start a game. In about 15 minutes three more guys showed and we got the cards in the air.
I won a few pots early and was up about $70 when my three 5s lost to a straight - back to even. Then I had a little hot streak, highlighted by one BIG hand. I was dealt a pair of 9s and bet $7. Two guys called. The flop came 10-8-6 - giving me a possible inside straight. One guy bet $15 and I called, hoping to hit either a 7 for the straight or a third 9.
My hopes were answered when a 9 fell on the turn. The other guy checked (telling me he didn't hit the straight either) and I bet $25. The guy called and I felt he had an over pair, maybe Q-Q or J-J.
The river was a 3 - no apparent help for either of us. My opponent shoved in $60 and I thought about it and called. He showed a pair of eights, giving him 3 8s to my 3 9s!!
That was my big pot of the day and I walked away a short time later, a $215 winner.
Helen and I celebrated with a takeout dinner from Famous Dave's BBQ - a "Cue for Two" special with BBQ ribs, chicken, brisket, slaw, grilled potatoes and cornbread muffins. Lots of food for $19.95. Probably be finishing that off tonight for dinner. MMMMM...
And today our adventure continues...
Monday was a Return-to-Poker day for me. I played at the Imperial Palace and won some nice cash, all in a three-in-a-row hand hot streak. First, I was dealt Q-Q and they held up for a $40 pot. Very next hand I looked down and saw A-A. I bet $7 and got a couple of callers. The flop came A-K-3. We all checked and when the turn came a Q, I checked to see who might bet and was thrilled when one guy bet $30. The other called with his last $20
I went into full-blown acting mode. I pretended to try to decide whether to call or not, but eventually I raised him another $60. He hesitated a bit, then shoved in the rest of his stack - another $40 or so. The river was a 4 and didn't help at all. The guy showed his K-Q for two pair, while the other guy mucked his hand. I showed my Trip Aces and the dealer shoved the hefty pot my way!
The very next hand, I had A-K and took down another pot worth $40 or so... Three great hands, three sweet wins. I played 4-5 more hands, then left. A $170 winner.
On Tuesday, Helen and I drove down to the Bellagio to check out the new Conservatory display, which honors the Chinese New Year. 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit and the displays feature many amazing topiary bunnies. There's also a unique chariot pulled by four horses, lots of bamboo, burning incense and more great floral displays. As usual, all of the features are made of floral items, crushed nuts, seeds and other natural items. It's always cool to see how creative the designers are.
While at Bellagio, we visited the sports book and I put $20 on MSU+4.5 vs. Illinois. That was a loser as the Spartans couldn't shoot to save their lives. Despite holding the Illini to one field goal in the last 10 minutes, the Spartans lost by 9.
Helen hadn't been to Caesars Palace yet, so we wandered over there to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We were seated out in the patio area so we could do some people watching and see the huge fish-filled aquarium only a few feet away. Our meal was great - tasty and huge!
Helen opted for a blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries, while I went for a hefty slab of meatloaf topped with grilled onions & mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie succotash. This great meal was $31, but lucky us, we received a survey request on our receipt and should be getting a $10 Cheesecake gift card for answering the survey.
We played some video poker and Wheel of Fortune at CP, but didn't do too well. Including our hoops bet, we lost $32.
After running a few errands, Wednesday was another poker day for me. I drove down to Bill's Gambling Hall and walked over to the IP where I learned that a guy committed suicide on Monday afternoon. Seems he jumped from one of the higher floors and landed between Harrah's and the IP. Sad that someone had to feel life was too difficult to deal with.
It was quiet at the poker room, but I waited there a while talking with the poker mgr. Jake and a couple of dealers. Then one other player showed and Jake gave each of us a special "2008 World Series of Poker" card protector for staying around and helping to start a game. In about 15 minutes three more guys showed and we got the cards in the air.
I won a few pots early and was up about $70 when my three 5s lost to a straight - back to even. Then I had a little hot streak, highlighted by one BIG hand. I was dealt a pair of 9s and bet $7. Two guys called. The flop came 10-8-6 - giving me a possible inside straight. One guy bet $15 and I called, hoping to hit either a 7 for the straight or a third 9.
My hopes were answered when a 9 fell on the turn. The other guy checked (telling me he didn't hit the straight either) and I bet $25. The guy called and I felt he had an over pair, maybe Q-Q or J-J.
The river was a 3 - no apparent help for either of us. My opponent shoved in $60 and I thought about it and called. He showed a pair of eights, giving him 3 8s to my 3 9s!!
That was my big pot of the day and I walked away a short time later, a $215 winner.
Helen and I celebrated with a takeout dinner from Famous Dave's BBQ - a "Cue for Two" special with BBQ ribs, chicken, brisket, slaw, grilled potatoes and cornbread muffins. Lots of food for $19.95. Probably be finishing that off tonight for dinner. MMMMM...
And today our adventure continues...
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday Update
It's been a while since I last posted, so I'll give a quick rundown of the last week or so...
On Tuesday, Helen and I went to see "True Grit" at the nearby Suncoast theater. Every Tuesday is Senior Day and we were able to see this great movie for only $4 each. Both of us liked this version better than the John Wayne orignal, which netted "The Duke" his only Academy Award. The cinematography is vivid and everything seems genuine to the Old West. Great acting by the young actress who plays Mattie and, of course, by Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn.
After getting out of the matinee, about 3 or so, we hit the casino's Grand Cafe for a bite. We both had the daily special - chicken marsala with two large chicken breasts atop a pile of mashed potatoes, corn and salad. For $7.99 each, it was a bargain. But even better I was able to pay with my players card points, so it was comped!
Wednesday was Anna's birthday, so we called her to wish her a Happy Birthday. Always great to talk with my girl. Then I drove to the Strip, parked at Ballys, played poker at Planet Hollywood and won $62. Took $22 of that and bet it on San Diego State vs. UNLV. It was a winner, so for the day I netted $82.
Yesterday I ran some errands early, including a stop at Target for mouthwash, etc. then drove to Mandalay Bay to check into buying tickets for The Lion King. Helen wants to take Scott and his family to the show when they visit Feb. 22-28. I had heard that the MB offered special deals for locals, so I thought I'd look into it.
When I got there I got into a line with about 10 people ahead of me. After about a 10 minute wait, I was at the counter where I explained that even though I lacked a Nevada ID, I had a gas bill and cable bill to show I lived on West Sahara. That was no problem and she quickly started the process of choosing the date and 7 seats for us. The end result was I scored the tickets, which go for $115 each, for less than half price!
I called Helen to let her know I had the tickets in my sweaty little fist and she was thrilled. She's been wanting to take the Grandkids to this show and I racked up a few "spousal points" by snagging the tickets.
Then I drove to Ballys, lost $15 in video blackjack and used my comp points there to enjoy a chicken salad on rye, chips and a diet coke - an $11.50 value - FREE! Love those points...
Then I took a walk, through Bill's, past the Flamingo, right by O'Sheas and into the Imperial Palace where they always have a huge stack of "Vegas Live" magazines. I grabbed a few that have Sinatra on the cover, in honor of some Sinatra show on the Strip. These will eventually go on ebay. Last year I sold several for $2-10 that had celebs on the cover. It's like free money!
On the way back, I stopped at Bill's and bought a $25 money line parlay ticket on Purdue (vs. Minnesota) and North Carolina (vs. Va Tech). Purdue lost by 3, so I lost the bet. Net loss for the day was $40.
Returned home about 3 p.m. and watched some TV before making cheese omelets and grilled potatoes for dinner.
Today I plan a return to the Strip for poker and finalize my football bets for the playoffs tomorrow and Sunday. And our adventure continues...
On Tuesday, Helen and I went to see "True Grit" at the nearby Suncoast theater. Every Tuesday is Senior Day and we were able to see this great movie for only $4 each. Both of us liked this version better than the John Wayne orignal, which netted "The Duke" his only Academy Award. The cinematography is vivid and everything seems genuine to the Old West. Great acting by the young actress who plays Mattie and, of course, by Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn.
After getting out of the matinee, about 3 or so, we hit the casino's Grand Cafe for a bite. We both had the daily special - chicken marsala with two large chicken breasts atop a pile of mashed potatoes, corn and salad. For $7.99 each, it was a bargain. But even better I was able to pay with my players card points, so it was comped!
Wednesday was Anna's birthday, so we called her to wish her a Happy Birthday. Always great to talk with my girl. Then I drove to the Strip, parked at Ballys, played poker at Planet Hollywood and won $62. Took $22 of that and bet it on San Diego State vs. UNLV. It was a winner, so for the day I netted $82.
Yesterday I ran some errands early, including a stop at Target for mouthwash, etc. then drove to Mandalay Bay to check into buying tickets for The Lion King. Helen wants to take Scott and his family to the show when they visit Feb. 22-28. I had heard that the MB offered special deals for locals, so I thought I'd look into it.
When I got there I got into a line with about 10 people ahead of me. After about a 10 minute wait, I was at the counter where I explained that even though I lacked a Nevada ID, I had a gas bill and cable bill to show I lived on West Sahara. That was no problem and she quickly started the process of choosing the date and 7 seats for us. The end result was I scored the tickets, which go for $115 each, for less than half price!
I called Helen to let her know I had the tickets in my sweaty little fist and she was thrilled. She's been wanting to take the Grandkids to this show and I racked up a few "spousal points" by snagging the tickets.
Then I drove to Ballys, lost $15 in video blackjack and used my comp points there to enjoy a chicken salad on rye, chips and a diet coke - an $11.50 value - FREE! Love those points...
Then I took a walk, through Bill's, past the Flamingo, right by O'Sheas and into the Imperial Palace where they always have a huge stack of "Vegas Live" magazines. I grabbed a few that have Sinatra on the cover, in honor of some Sinatra show on the Strip. These will eventually go on ebay. Last year I sold several for $2-10 that had celebs on the cover. It's like free money!
On the way back, I stopped at Bill's and bought a $25 money line parlay ticket on Purdue (vs. Minnesota) and North Carolina (vs. Va Tech). Purdue lost by 3, so I lost the bet. Net loss for the day was $40.
Returned home about 3 p.m. and watched some TV before making cheese omelets and grilled potatoes for dinner.
Today I plan a return to the Strip for poker and finalize my football bets for the playoffs tomorrow and Sunday. And our adventure continues...
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Super Bowl Odds
Stopped by the Suncoast yesterday and here are current odds for the SB prior to the start of the playoffs:
Patriots 1-1
Steelers 7/2
Falcons 4-1
Saints 5-1
Eagles and Packers 8-1
Bears 9-1
Colts and Ravens 12-1
Jets and Chiefs 20-1
Seahawks 65-1
For hoops fans, here's a few NCAA Title odds:
Duke 14-5
MSU 7-1
Ohio State 8-1
Kansas 8-1
Kentucky 10-1
Purdue 15-1
UConn 20-1
UNLV 30-1
Michigan 60-1
ND 75-1
Patriots 1-1
Steelers 7/2
Falcons 4-1
Saints 5-1
Eagles and Packers 8-1
Bears 9-1
Colts and Ravens 12-1
Jets and Chiefs 20-1
Seahawks 65-1
For hoops fans, here's a few NCAA Title odds:
Duke 14-5
MSU 7-1
Ohio State 8-1
Kansas 8-1
Kentucky 10-1
Purdue 15-1
UConn 20-1
UNLV 30-1
Michigan 60-1
ND 75-1
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Tourist
Yesterday Helen and I took in a matinee of "The Tourist" with Angelina Jolie and Johny Depp, one of Helen's favs.
It was an entertaining movie with a fine performance by Depp and beautiful photography of Venice. The movie started just before noon, so after leaving the Red Rock casino theater, we stopped for lunch at the casino's Grand Cafe.
It was about 2:15 or so and a perfect quiet time for a nice meal. Helen opted for a Cobb salad, while I chose one of their specials - an appetizer, entree and dessert for $12.99. I went with a shrimp cocktail, club sandwich and huge slab of chocolate cake (which we shared). We'll probably go for this again. We still want to see "True Grit" before it leaves the local theaters.
Earlier in the morning, I had some errands to run - buy fresh pita bread at the Middle East Market, get stamps at the post office and make a stop at the Suncoast to get a basketball bet. It was a two-team money line parlay on Purdue and BYU - both double-digit winners. BYU is an underrated squad. They came into UNLV's Thomas and Mack Arena and silenced the crazy crowd. Led by sharpshooting guard Jimmer Fredette (mark down that name if you don't know it) who had 39 points, the Cougars are ranked #15 in the nation. Fredette hit 7 3-pointers, a couple that came from near the parking lot, LOL!!
My $20 wager paid $72 and I'll go cash that today.
The past few days have been losing poker sessions. I played at Ballys and MGM with little success on both Monday and Tuesday this week. Lot of second-best hands which can get expensive. I think my best hand over both days was a flush that failed to generate a big pot.
It was good to take yesterday off from poker and I may not play today either, just to shake off the stink of losing, LOL!
And so our LV adventure continues...
It was an entertaining movie with a fine performance by Depp and beautiful photography of Venice. The movie started just before noon, so after leaving the Red Rock casino theater, we stopped for lunch at the casino's Grand Cafe.
It was about 2:15 or so and a perfect quiet time for a nice meal. Helen opted for a Cobb salad, while I chose one of their specials - an appetizer, entree and dessert for $12.99. I went with a shrimp cocktail, club sandwich and huge slab of chocolate cake (which we shared). We'll probably go for this again. We still want to see "True Grit" before it leaves the local theaters.
Earlier in the morning, I had some errands to run - buy fresh pita bread at the Middle East Market, get stamps at the post office and make a stop at the Suncoast to get a basketball bet. It was a two-team money line parlay on Purdue and BYU - both double-digit winners. BYU is an underrated squad. They came into UNLV's Thomas and Mack Arena and silenced the crazy crowd. Led by sharpshooting guard Jimmer Fredette (mark down that name if you don't know it) who had 39 points, the Cougars are ranked #15 in the nation. Fredette hit 7 3-pointers, a couple that came from near the parking lot, LOL!!
My $20 wager paid $72 and I'll go cash that today.
The past few days have been losing poker sessions. I played at Ballys and MGM with little success on both Monday and Tuesday this week. Lot of second-best hands which can get expensive. I think my best hand over both days was a flush that failed to generate a big pot.
It was good to take yesterday off from poker and I may not play today either, just to shake off the stink of losing, LOL!
And so our LV adventure continues...
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Get Ready 2011, Here We Come
Helen and I have been busy over the past few days, so I'll try to give you an overview of our activities.
Thursday was a big day for us. We went to the Thomas and Mack arena to see CMU take on the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. I bet $25 on CMU +22.5, but that was wasted money as the Rebels embarassed the Chips, 73-47. It was worse than the final score indicated. Here are some lowlights by CMU.
Right from the opening minutes, CMU could not cope with the aggressive pressing defense of UNLV. They committed turnover after turnover - twice being unable to inbound the ball within 5 seconds and twice stepping on the sideline after being swarmed by the Rebels.
After 12 minutes of play, CMU had 6 points - only 2 baskets and 2 free throws. Fortunately, UNLV had a cold first half and led only by 12 at halftime. So I had real hope when the Chips cut the lead to 4 pts early in the second half, but then the roof fell in and UNLV rolled to the 26-point win.
We had a lot of fun, though. We had seats in the handicapped section, a special area at one end of the court. Unable to see the scoreboard, we had TVs right in front of us. Of course, UNLV has to add a little zest to their pregame show. What other team darkens the arena, then shoots off fireworks from the backboards during the pregame lineup announcements? Another great touch is the UNLV dance team - four members do standing backflips in unison for every basket the Rebels make!!
It was a really fun night and Helen enjoyed it very much.
Friday I played a little blackjack, losing $22 at the Suncoast. But I offset that by winning a 3-team football parlay with Florida State, Notre Dame and Central Florida - all underdogs - winning outright. It paid $140.
Dinner was a Papa John's pizza - a large with everything for only $10.
Today I was up early and made us a breakfast of fried potatoes and scrambled eggs with sauteed onions & mushrooms. Lunch was turkey sandwiches as we watched football. I lost all my fb bets when MSU and U-M got crushed. That killed my 3 teaser/parlay bets and left me with a year-opening loss of $60.
With December in the books, I totalled up my gaming numbers. For the month, I won $2,422 in 19 winning days and lost $518 in 9 losing days. That gave me a profit of $1,904 over the 19 winning days - $100 a day.
Today Helen is taking down the Luther Tree and doing laundry. I'll be making dinner later, either salads or lasagna (thank you Stouffers). And tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Thursday was a big day for us. We went to the Thomas and Mack arena to see CMU take on the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV. I bet $25 on CMU +22.5, but that was wasted money as the Rebels embarassed the Chips, 73-47. It was worse than the final score indicated. Here are some lowlights by CMU.
Right from the opening minutes, CMU could not cope with the aggressive pressing defense of UNLV. They committed turnover after turnover - twice being unable to inbound the ball within 5 seconds and twice stepping on the sideline after being swarmed by the Rebels.
After 12 minutes of play, CMU had 6 points - only 2 baskets and 2 free throws. Fortunately, UNLV had a cold first half and led only by 12 at halftime. So I had real hope when the Chips cut the lead to 4 pts early in the second half, but then the roof fell in and UNLV rolled to the 26-point win.
We had a lot of fun, though. We had seats in the handicapped section, a special area at one end of the court. Unable to see the scoreboard, we had TVs right in front of us. Of course, UNLV has to add a little zest to their pregame show. What other team darkens the arena, then shoots off fireworks from the backboards during the pregame lineup announcements? Another great touch is the UNLV dance team - four members do standing backflips in unison for every basket the Rebels make!!
It was a really fun night and Helen enjoyed it very much.
Friday I played a little blackjack, losing $22 at the Suncoast. But I offset that by winning a 3-team football parlay with Florida State, Notre Dame and Central Florida - all underdogs - winning outright. It paid $140.
Dinner was a Papa John's pizza - a large with everything for only $10.
Today I was up early and made us a breakfast of fried potatoes and scrambled eggs with sauteed onions & mushrooms. Lunch was turkey sandwiches as we watched football. I lost all my fb bets when MSU and U-M got crushed. That killed my 3 teaser/parlay bets and left me with a year-opening loss of $60.
With December in the books, I totalled up my gaming numbers. For the month, I won $2,422 in 19 winning days and lost $518 in 9 losing days. That gave me a profit of $1,904 over the 19 winning days - $100 a day.
Today Helen is taking down the Luther Tree and doing laundry. I'll be making dinner later, either salads or lasagna (thank you Stouffers). And tomorrow our adventure will continue...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)