Cash From the Suncoast

After a leisurely morning of coffee and TV news, I made my way over to the Suncoast about 11:30. Helen enjoys watching "Desperate Housewives" from noon to 2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to run errands or hit the nearby casinos.

So between 11:30 and 3 p.m., I played some blackjack at a $5 table and was able to grind out an $80 profit. No big dramatic hands, no huge double downs, just $5-10 wins here and there. When I got up near $100, I decided not to press my luck and walk with the $80 profit.

On my way out, I checked the casino's movie theater, since Helen and I plan to see "Taken" there next Tuesday. Every Tuesday they offer $3 tickets to anyone over 60 who has a club card. We'll be taking advantage of this senior citizen benefit next week....woohoo for being Old!!

While I was gone, in addition to watching the wackiness along Wisteria Lane, Helen found time to clean the bathroom and catch up on her emails.

Since we had such a huge dinner last night, we both agreed to go with salads tonight. I whipped up a couple of hefty salads with organic mixed greens, roma tomatoes, red onions, Greek feta cheese and mushrooms. Now we're just relaxing, watching "Judge Judy" and reading a little bit. In a while, I'll make us a bowl of popcorn and we'll enjoy some TV until we're barely concious, or until about 9 o'clock ...then tomorrow the adventure will continue.

Poker Bad Beats & LV Birthday

At Helen's encouragement, I began my birthday yesterday with a daylong poker session at Bally's on the Strip.

When I opened the door to leave the apt. tied to the outside doorknob were 3 "Happy Birthday" balloons weighted down with a small package of candies and a card. A nice touch from the apt. managers, Kimberly and her staff. They really go out of their way to make us feel appreciated.

It was one of the most frustrating poker sessions of the trip. I started out winning a couple of pots early and was up $60-70 after 5-6 hands. But I lost one big hand when I looked down at 2-2 and called a guy's $10 bet. The flop came 2-10-10 - giving me a FULL HOUSE on the Flop! Eventually it came down to me and one other guy, who shoved all his chips in and I called. He showed 10-10 for trips and I was in good shape. On the turn came a K. Then the river - ANOTHER KING! Giving the guy a bigger full house....arrgh. that left me with only $40 left, which I built up to about $150 over the next 2 hours or so.

Then came my second big loss. I had $150 in front of me when I was dealt 8-8. This is one of my easiest hands to play...if I hit trips on the flop, I play aggressively. If there are over cards on the flop and someone bets, I fold. Anyway, three of us saw the flop which came A-10-8. One guy bet $30, another called and I said "All In" shoving my chips into the pot. Both of them called, making the pot more than $500. My thinking was that hopefully each of them had an Ace and I was well ahead. Well, we all turned our cards and I was right about one guy A-K, but the other guy had 10-10. I was way behind and the only way to win was hit the fourth 8...that didnt happen and I was cleaned out.

For the day, I only lost my $100 buy-in, but it was really annoying to lose that way. I was ahead and gave back all the profit, plus my buy-in. Very frustrating, but that's poker. I'll try again soon.

To celebrate my birthday, Helen and I went to Hash House A Go Go, a popular LV restaurant only a short drive from our apt. on Sahara. It's a favorite of celebrities and the lobby has pics of famous customers - Martha Stewart, Dr. Phil and others.

It's a great place. Helen and I arrived about 5:45, just before the dinner rush, and got a great table. The place is similar to Blue Tractor, with an industrial/farm feel to it. Lots of metal, including gleaming aluminum table tops, and wooden chairs. We started our meal with a tasty Riesling, recommended by our waiter Alex, who also brought some delicious honey-buttered biscuits that were the size of hockey pucks.

For our entrees, Helen chose a daily special of beef medallions over mashed potatoes with slightly crisp green beans and carrots. I went with a grilled pork tenderloin drizzled with carmelized pecans and hot honey mustard, blue cheese mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. Both were HUGE - delivered on 20-inch platters that weigh, according to Alex, 21 pounds each!! HHAGG is one of those places that provides Mega-portions. And the food is spectacularly plated. A delight for the eyes and the palate.

Since it WAS my birthday, we shared a dessert - a devilishly delicious 8-inch square chocolate bread pudding topped with a Snickers layer and adorned with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the record, we didn't finish the whole thing!

We'll definitely be returning, since we have a $25 off coupon. In fact, for you bargain hunters, we used a $25 off coupon and our dinner (before tip) came to only $54 - that's with two glasses of wine ($20) and dessert!

We were both groaning from eating so much, but it was SOOOO good. It was about 8 when we got home and settled in to watch the NBC comedies, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock. But today our adventure continues...

Ash Wednesday in LV

Every Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11:30, Helen attends a Bible Study Class at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Since today was Ash Wednesday, she decided to stay after the class to attend a noon service.

So when I dropped her off at 9:45, we agreed that I would run a couple of errands and return to the church to pick her up at 12:30. My first stop was at a nearby post office box where I deposited my brother Bruce's birthday card. On March 3, next Tuesday, he turns 56.

Then it was off to the local library to pick up a few books. I found two mysteries for Helen - "Murder By Manicure" by Nancy Cohen and "Bleeding Hearts" by Susan Wittig Albert. For myself, I found "Murder of a Mafia Daughter" by Cathy Scott, "Master Detective" by John Reisinger and "Everything They Had" by David Halberstam.

I returned to the church about 12:20 and started reading "Murder of a Mafia Daughter." Helen came out about 12:45 and we headed back to the apt. where I made us turkey sandwiches for lunch. Then I grabbed a grocery list we had been compiling and headed over to Albertsons to do a little shopping. Six bags and $50 later, I headed home.

About 4 p.m., Helen and I called our niece Brandi, who turns 15 today. She was pretty excited that we called and seemed especially impressed that I signed the birthday card we sent her a few days ago. We're sort of birthday buddies, since she was born on Feb. 25 and I was born Feb. 26 - some 46 years earlier...

After talking with Brandi, I kept reading "Mafia Daughter" and actually finished it a few minutes ago. A pretty interesting tale about Susan Berman, whose father Davie Berman ran casinos in LV for the mob in the '50s and '60s. Susan was found murdered in LA in 2000 and it sounds like one of her friends is her killer, though no one was ever convicted.

For dinner, I whipped up some salads - organic mixed greens, Greek feta cheese, mushrooms, red onions, and Kalamata olives. Helen opted for Catalina dressing, while I chose a creamy ranch. We chose to eat healthy after munching some peanut & almond M&Ms as an afternoon snack.

Now we're just watching TV and I'll be starting one of my other books. For my birthday tomorrow, I plan on a full day of poker, followed by dinner at Hash House A Go Go, one of Vegas' most interesting eateries and a favorite of some celebs, including Al Roker. No doubt, the adventure will continue...

Dinner on the Strip & Bellagio Fountains

Helen and I decided to have dinner down on the Strip Tuesday night and take in a couple of Bellagio Fountain performances.

But first, she sent me over to the Suncoast to play a little blackjack and, hopefully, make enough money to cover dinner. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and it resulted in one of the most frustrating sessions of the entire trip.

I found a seat at a $5 blackjack table and did very well early. In fact, I WON THE FIRST 7 HANDS! I was up about $100 and thought this had the makings of a very profitable session. But I violated one of my basic bj tenets and failed to walk soon enough. As good as the cards were running, they turned bad. Eventually I lost my winnings along with my $100 buy-in.

To change my luck, I drove to the Red Rock, where I played for about 45 minutes and ended up losing another $25. So gambling today was a $125 loss...

I returned home around 3 and Helen and I just relaxed before heading to the Strip about 4:30. We parked at Bill's and opted for an early dinner in the Victorian Room, one of my favorite casual eateries on the Strip. We both chose the Taco Salad with diet colas. It was tasty with a lot of taco beef.

After dinner we used the elevated bridges to make our way over to Bellagio. It was a little early for the 6 p.m. show, so we went into the Bellagio to see the elaborately decorated conservatory. On the way, I spotted a 50-cent Haywire slot machine - one of Helen's favorites. We decided to play it, so I shoved in a $20 and started play. We were up and down and up and down and suddenly got a HAYWIRE-HAYWIRE-3 BARS for $50. We immediately cashed out $68 - a $48 profit!

Then we made our way to the conservatory where it was beautifully decorated to honor the Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox. They do such an impressive job with these displays which change 4-6 times a year.

Soon we headed out to see the Fountain Show. It was a comfortable evening - afternoon temps had hit 72 or so and it was still balmy. Shortly after 6 we saw "Hoe Down" by Aaron Copeland. At 6:30 we watched "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood. It was so nice, standing there in shorts & Hawaiian shirt in late Feb. watching these amazing productions. A very fun time!

Then we drove home, had a big bowl of popcorn and watched some TV. Another great day in LV and I'm sure today our adventure will continue...

Makin' Bucks at Bally's

It's always nice to start the week out with a profitable day of poker.

That's what happened today after I drove to Bally's looking for a $1-2 no limit game. I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and was unable to park at the Bally's parking deck because two large Clark County firetrucks had the entrance to the deck blocked off. A security officer was directing traffic around the ramp, so I made a quick right turn to get back to the Strip, then another right onto Flamingo and a left into the parking deck at Bill's Gambling Hall.

I walked across Flamingo and asked a couple of Bally's workers about the parking situation, but no one seemed to have any details. The poker room was just getting going at 10 a.m., so I took the #6 seat in the game. For the next couple of hours, there were really no highlights. The best hand I had was three 8s, which won me a pot of about $30. Other than that, my winning hands were two pair and less. Shortly after noon, I was up $65 and decided to take my profits and have lunch.

I needed to go to the Planet Hollywood sports book to cash a winning $48 hoops ticket that I bought yesterday, so I made my way through Paris and down the Strip to PH. The sports book is right inside the casino's southern-most entrance and easy to find. Feeling hungry, instead of immediately cashing the ticket, I ventured into the Earl of Sandwich shop for a tasty roast beef sandwich, along with chips and a drink.

Then I went to the sportsbook and cashed my winner. Things there were pretty quiet, but one big screen did have an interesting game going. It was "The Sandberg Game" from June 23, 1984 when the young Hall of Famer gained fame by slugging three homers in a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Cardinals. I watched for over an hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of Traverse City's own Dan Rohn, who was a member of the Cubs that year. It was great watching that 25-year-old baseball, but never saw Rohnie, though. Leaving the PH, I made my way back to the car at Bill's and drove back to the apartment, arriving just before 4 p.m.

While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone with our grandson Alan, who turns 16 today. She also talked with Anna and our friend Lois Edson. A pretty chatty day for her.
When I got home, we called Alan again and I got to wish my namesake a happy birthday. Dinner was nothing too special - grilled cheeseburgers and corn chips.

After dinner I finished reading "Crazy '08,' an outstanding baseball book about the exciting 1908 season. I really learned a lot about deadball baseball and some of the personalities involved in the game. It's a great read for a baseball lover.

Helen's just finishing up the dinner dishes and we'll watch a little TV before calling it a night. Tomorrow we're thinking of hitting the Strip together to have dinner there and watch the Bellagio fountains as our adventure continues...

Scored Some Great Concert Tickets

Helen and I began our Sunday by attending the 8 a.m. service at the Lakes Lutheran Church.

I'm not sure if there's any direct correlation, but ever since I started regular church attendance, some seven weeks ago, my efforts at the casinos have been steadily profitable. Just a coincidence? Who knows.

After church, we came back to the apartment about 9:15 and I made Helen some breakfast - apples, blueberries and banana covered with vanilla yogurt. It's tasty, filling and low in calories - one of Helen's favorite breakfasts.

Then she sent me down to the Strip to see if there was any money to be made. Surprisingly, there was. I parked at Bally's and checked out the poker room. One table going and a list of 4 names. I didn't wait. I played a little blackjack there, winning about $20, before strolling to the Paris sportsbook where I put down $30 on MSU -8 against Wisconsin. It didn't look good early as the Spartans trailed most of the game. But they rallied in the final minutes to get the win and the cover.

Before the MSU game, I walked over to Planet Hollywood where I played some more blackjack, winning $76, and bought a 4-team $20 moneyline parlay ticket - MSU, Minnesota, Lakers and Cavaliers (over the Pistons). Right now the first 3 have won and the Cavs lead Detroit by 33 at the half. It looks like I'll be cashing this one for $48.85.

So by 4 o'clock, I was up about $120 and drove over to the Orleans to get tickets for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert next weekend. Shepherd will be in Vegas next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I scored us two SWEET seats, four rows back, center aisle. We went to his concert here last year and really enjoyed it. Anyone who likes the blues, especially blues guitar, would enjoy KWS. He's young, but very highly regarded in the blues field.

Then I drove home and made us some dinner - grilled mushroom burgers with sauteed onions - not very healthy, but really tasty.

While I was on the Strip, Helen was on the phone. She had a long talk with her sister Sharon, who has been battling cold symptoms and crud for about a month. Yesterday was Sharon's brithday and Helen wanted to send our congratulations. She also cleaned up the apartment and relaxed for awhile. Tonight we're just watching some TV and relaxing, but tomorrow, I'm pretty sure, the adventure continues...

Saturday on the LV Strip

Helen sent me down to the Strip to play some poker, but my plans got changed along the way.

I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall about 9 a.m. and went to the casino's sports book to get a bet down on an early hoops game. I took Butler +5 over Davidson for $25, which turned out to be a winner. While at Bill's I played a little blackjack and walked with a profit of $80.

Then I crossed Flamingo Blvd to Bally's where I wanted to play a little poker. But the poker room was busy today with three tables going and a waiting list of about 6 names. I didn't feel like waiting, so I strolled over to the Paris sports book to get another bet down. I liked Louisville -5 against Cincinnati for $25, which was also a winner. After making the bet, I wanted a comfortable place to watch the game, so I headed to Bellagio's sports book - for my money, the finest sports book on the Strip. With their leather chairs and huge screens, Bellagio does it right.

After watching the games finish, I walked back to Paris to cash the Louisville ticket and stopped at Bally's to check the poker situation. Still no vacancies there, so I played a little blackjack and won $30. I was hungry, so I got a chicken salad sandwich at the Nosh snack bar, but it was busy and there were few seats, so I toted my lunch to the Paris sports book and ate there while watching more hoops. While there, I checked my phone and saw that my friend Terry called. I called him back and he wanted me to get him a 7-team hockey parlay. If it hits, his $25 bet will pay $3,350....but right now he's losing the first game. I also bought a $20 3-team hockey ticket that will pay $81 if it wins, but right now I'm losing the Devils game 2-0 and the Wings game 1-0. Not looking good.

With lunch over, I walked back to Bill's to cash my Butler ticket and play a little blackjack. I won $30 there and decided to drive home. My total profit for the day was $148, including the $25 that T owes me for his hockey bet. Not a bad day...a lot of hoops fun and some profit.

While I was on the Strip, Helen was relaxing at home, doing some laundry and talking with our niece Brandi, whose birthday is next week. We sent her a gift - some dollhouse furniture for her new dollhouse, and she called to thank us. Helen talked with her for about an hour. Glad we have unlimited long distance on both phones.

I don't feel like cooking, so we'll be having Middle Eastern fare again tonight - pita bread, hummus, feta cheese, tabouli, lebne and kalamata olives. Tasty stuff.

Helen's watching some Lifetime Channel show about a prison warden's wife being kidnapped by a killer who she later falls for. I'm getting ready to whip up dinner, but tomorrow the adventure continues...