Another Vegas thread..............

[rocknrobn26]

So we were there from Monday til today. Had a great time. Met up w/ Skippy and Mrs. Skippy..............we ate some meals together and played a 'bit' of blackjack together also. BTW....you'll never meet 2 more quality people than The Skippys". We had a great time w/ you guys, my friend!

Won about $700 (take home), but I have some observations as how Vegas is changing, along w/ restaurant/show reviews. I just got home an hour+ ago, so I will wait to give my review.

[max]

Very cool. I am glad you had a nice time in Vegas!

[SheikYerbuti]

Don't forget to repost. . .I'd love to hear your thoughts/reactions to Vegas.

[rocknrobn26]

Don't forget to repost. . .I'd love to hear your thoughts/reactions to Vegas.

 

Will do! It may take a few days, but I have always followed up.

[Bier Meister]

[TDFFFreak]

Looking forward to your trip report RR!

[Skippy]

It was a great time. The Rocknrobn's are great people. Even Rockn himself but I just can't figure out how he landed a wife like his. RR is a lucky mofo.

 

The trip was great and meeting up with those guys made it even better. Both camps took home some Vegas money so we both had luck on our side. The last session of black jack that I played with RR had him killing the table. I saw him turn a few hundred into over 1k within an hour. I know it was within an hour as it was my last hour before hitting the airport for my flight home. I took 225 off that table in that hour but RR was just crushing the table.

 

We had at least four good quality BJ sessions and I don't think either of us got up from the table with out at least a little of their money. I would sit and play BJ with RR anytime and going to dinner with him and his wife is now one of my favorite things about my trips to Vegas.

 

RR is right though, Vegas is changing in a big way. They don't seem to want to give us table guys very much compared to the old days and I am positive that they are penalizing you for winning any of their money. I know for sure that my average bet was greater than it has ever been in the past during this trip yet the comps that they were willing to give me were pennies on the dollars compared to the past.

 

Still, all that aside, going to Vegas is always fun but going with people like the RR’s makes it a great time that I am already looking very much toward doing again.

[Chief Dick]

We had at least four good quality BJ sessions

 

Uh, what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas.

[Skippy]

Uh, what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas.

That is not true and I can show you my wallet to prove it.

 

Oh and my luck kept running into our poker game tonight.

[SheikYerbuti]

The trip was great and meeting up with those guys made it even better. Both camps took home some Vegas money so we both had luck on our side. The last session of black jack that I played with RR had him killing the table. I saw him turn a few hundred into over 1k within an hour. I know it was within an hour as it was my last hour before hitting the airport for my flight home. I took 225 off that table in that hour but RR was just crushing the table.

 

You mean all I have to do is get closer to 21 than the dealer? Sheeeeeeeeit, that's easy!

[rocknrobn26]

Ok...Long read, but if your into Vegas, it should be worthwhile!

 

Again…..Had a great time w/ the Skippy’s! Mrs. Skippy is a lot of fun and very sweet! Mr. Skippy knows his blackjack, but as soon as he loses, he calls the dealers “cheatin’ basturdds”! We had some great hours together! And YES, Skip, ……. Mrs. RR is not my better half………..She’s my better 90%. I’m lost w/o her and she makes me SEEM like a decent guy when we’re together. God bless her!

TY, Bro, for great time!

 

Hotel Room:

I opted for a “GO’ room even though we had a full comp on a “deluxe” room. The last comped room we had was dirty and smelly. The “GO” room was very clean, w/ a 42” LG FP, electric drapes, a TV in the mirror in the bathroom, a shower & tub, a “Natural Sounds” radio for wake-up and a sweet DVD/CD/Radio w/ hookups for your Ipod, etc. Nice touches! I’ll never go back to a standard/deluxe room!

 

Meals:

The Skippys and Us went to 2 restaurants together.

The “46” @ the Flamingo is GREAT! Skippy and I opted for the onion soup as an appetizer. GREAT CHOICE! Prolly the best I ever had, and I have had some great onion soups! Not sure what everyone had, but I had the Duck. Duck breast slices (MR) w/ a squiggle of BBQ sauce and a fried duck leg on the side. Very good. Mrs. Skippy wanted to try the duck, but we talked her out of it. She had a very good meal, I gave her a taste of my duck and she loved it. The meal was $$$$, but we all loved it. Having been to many $$$$ steak houses the “46” ranks at the top w/ several others (Harrahs, Luxor, Delmonicos) as close seconds. Great service, Great food, nice ambience, and totally enjoyable.

 

We also went to “Margaritaville” in the Flamingo. Noisy (but that’s part of the ambiance), crowded (party atmosphere), no reservations (15-20 min wait), but the food was very good, service was also good and reasonable price. About half of the “46”. I liked the place and will go back.

 

After the Skippys left we went to “Hooters”. Mrs. RR and I split a burger and an order of “Semi Hot Wings”. The last time I was at a Hooters, they gave you a variety of sauces. I had to ask for “ONE” (ranch)! They seemed geasier than the last time, but were still good. The burger was fine and the final price was $$.

Shows:

We all went to the dueling pianos in Paris. They were OK, but the last guys they had were soooo much better. No cover, prolly a one drink minimum. Prices for a cocktail were high, but I nursed mine.

We also saw Bobby Slayton. Very caustic, but funny.

 

Comps:

Here’s where I’m a little pissed and would like some info from anyone in the know…Sheik??? FWIW, I do minimal machine play. And YES this is a rant!

4-5 years ago, I was at Bally’s (Bally’s had tougher minimums than Flamingo) and did 40 hours on the tables (Blackjack, mostly) and had an average bet of $38. They fell all over me. They wouldn’t even allow me to cash-in at the player’s club area. I HAD to have an appt. w/ a host. I got over $600 in comps, a Platinum (highest at the time) Players Card and all sorts of offers for free shows, stays, etc.afterward. That lasted until last May, when I was reduced to a Gold Card. This trip and last May’s were similar so I’ll give the details from this stay. 38 + hours on the tables. $44 average bet. All I got was a $45 comp.! Why did it change so much??? It’s pretty obvious that they are discouraging table players and years ago they used to say “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how much you risk!”. That is also no longer true, IMHO, as in the instances above I won $$$ last May and last week, and lost $$$ in 4-5 years and in between, though never more than $800 for the other stays ( ~12 in the last 4-5 years).

Money at risk this stay:

38 hours X 40 hands per hour X $44= $66880 at risk! @1.5%= $1003.2 house potential.

Ok, granted, perfect strategy at Blackjack yields 1.5% house advantage. Machines, and I don’t care if they advertise 99% pay back (those #’s are based on the machine’s life/millennium, NOT a 5 day stay), typically give a minimum 15% house advantage (20% is the max based on Nevada law). True there are HOT machines, but don’t forget, computers run machines, math runs table games.

Math for machines:

38 hours X 100 pulls/hour X $15/ pull= $57000 at risk. @15%= $8550 house potential.

Comps for table players SUCK! If they could get away w/ ALL machines, I think they would. I am not dissing machine players, I guess I’m just pissed at they way they are now treating table players. The players that truly made Vegas what it is. Ahhhhh……bring back the old days when the “Boys” ran it. Everything was paid for by the Casino. Cheap rooms, meals, shows (how about $25 for a big name performer including 4 drinks! ) w/ a selection that made the wife and I say “Who DON’T we want to see!”. Yeah I sound like De Niro (Rothstein) in “Casino. Believe me, Vegas in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s ROCKED! BTW, Skippy, I never got a chance to see Terri, my fave pitboss, again. Was feeling poorly Thursday night. I guess drinking too much (for 4 days) and <5 hours of sleep /nite ain’t good! At least that is what Mrs. RR said! Dam…..I hate when she’s right!

 

I really would appreciate any and all opinions on what I wrote from those of you that frequent Vegas. T-bone? Skippy? BC? Darrin? Anyone else? Ok.....Rant over!

 

Other Notes: (Mind you I have been to Vegas 40+ times)

1) If any of you go infrequently or are not in the know, NEVER EVER let the cab driver take you from the airport to your hotel via the expressway, unless you’re staying downtown and/or maybe the far north strip. If they do….add $8+ to your fare. Don’t be shy, tell them this before leaving the curb.

2) If you have 4 or more people, consider a limo from the airport to your hotel. It will be cheaper than 2+ cabs, plus the walk in between is shorter.

3) Tip the waitress $5 for your first drink, and $2 there after. If you do you’ll never be in need of a drink and they will be as full as can be.

4) If you use the bellman going out, tip him ~ $2-3 per bag, and he’ll follow you to the curb, even if you need to checkout first! The guy I got thought I was his rich uncle and even lead me to the checkout desk and waited! This will not not work if you need time between checkout and departure.

5) Regardless of how much you bet, cigarette comps now come off your regular comps., meaning you have to show your card, get the pit boss to approve, and SIGN FOR IT. Seemed like an IRS audit!

6) Lounge shows, lately, are a great bet. The headliners are far and few between, and I’m not into the extravaganzas, good as they may be.

7) Don’t rely on comps. Bet what you can and live w/ it! It’s stoopid to risk several hundred dollars for a $100/ nite room. (Thank God I never fell into that trap)

8) Unless your doing day trips, forget the rent-a-car! Cabs are reasonable and if you drink, a DUI ain’t worth it. Figger $12 cab ride per trip up and down the strip. 2 trips a day is cheaper than a rental.

9) If you ever get a Platinum/Diamond card and lose the priveliges, keep the card! It will still get you better seats in shows, priority seating at the $$$ restaurants, and immediate seating in the coffee shop even if it’s expired! They don’t check the date!

10) If you need a good/easy to read blackjack cheat sheet, I have one, and would be more than happy to send it to anyone who wants one. It’s in MSWORD and I’ll need an email to send it. Believe me it works!

 

Questions:

I’m asking! All opinions are welcome!

I hope yall enjoy this thread, it took me 2 days to write it!

Edited February 26, 2008 by rocknrobn26

[HowboutthemCowboys]

Glad you guys had a good time.

I've never been to Vegas but have been to AC 9-10 times. Was there with my wife from fri -Sun this past weekend. We left Thursday night at 11:30 and arrived about 4:30 fri morning. We had a storm coming through overnight and tried to beat it. The good news is they let us check in right away so I got to get a few hours sleep.

I've never been in any casino but the Tropicana. When we first started going about 5 years ago ( we usually go twice a year), the comps were fantastic. We're table players mainly also; 3 card poker and I play a little craps. A little slots and video poker mixed in when the tables are cold. Anyway a couple trips ago, the Trop changed from paper to computers for your comps. Our comps have gone down since then. Noticeably. Not a great big deal b/c we always have comp money left over anyway when we leave. Not sure how the comps work exactly or what our average bet would be, but we play the $10 /$ 15 tables, sometimes the $25 when thats what they jack em up to. We usually arrive fri morning and check out Sun. morning. Friday we play from arrival 'til about 1-2 AM, then noon til 4- 5 am Sunday. We have a room comp ( standard room ) anytime we want it and never pay for a meal when we're there. We also get mailers constantly for free show tickets to all the shows ( They're not usually very exciting to me).

I realize AC ain't Vegas but my point is the comps have gone down there also.

[rocknrobn26]

Glad you guys had a good time.

I've never been to Vegas but have been to AC 9-10 times. Was there with my wife from fri -Sun this past weekend. We left Thursday night at 11:30 and arrived about 4:30 fri morning. We had a storm coming through overnight and tried to beat it. The good news is they let us check in right away so I got to get a few hours sleep.

I've never been in any casino but the Tropicana. When we first started going about 5 years ago ( we usually go twice a year), the comps were fantastic. We're table players mainly also; 3 card poker and I play a little craps. A little slots and video poker mixed in when the tables are cold. Anyway a couple trips ago, the Trop changed from paper to computers for your comps. Our comps have gone down since then. Noticeably. Not a great big deal b/c we always have comp money left over anyway when we leave. Not sure how the comps work exactly or what our average bet would be, but we play the $10 /$ 15 tables, sometimes the $25 when thats what they jack em up to. We usually arrive fri morning and check out Sun. morning. Friday we play from arrival 'til about 1-2 AM, then noon til 4- 5 am Sunday. We have a room comp ( standard room ) anytime we want it and never pay for a meal when we're there. We also get mailers constantly for free show tickets to all the shows ( They're not usually very exciting to me).

I realize AC ain't Vegas but my point is the comps have gone down there also.

 

TY, How! I don't think this is a "Vegas Only" thingee, and if I get your drift, neither do you.

Thanks for you input. BTW........if you play Blackjack or "Let it ride" I'd love to play w/ you someday!

Anyone else???

Edited February 26, 2008 by rocknrobn26

[NSab]

Ok...Long read, but if your into Vegas, it should be worthwhile!

 

Again…..Had a great time w/ the Skippy’s! Mrs. Skippy is a lot of fun and very sweet! Mr. Skippy knows his blackjack, but as soon as he loses, he calls the dealers “cheatin’ basturdds”! We had some great hours together! And YES, Skip, ……. Mrs. RR is not my better half………..She’s my better 90%. I’m lost w/o her and she makes me SEEM like a decent guy when we’re together. God bless her!

TY, Bro, for great time!

 

Hotel Room:

I opted for a “GO’ room even though we had a full comp on a “deluxe” room. The last comped room we had was dirty and smelly. The “GO” room was very clean, w/ a 42” LG FP, electric drapes, a TV in the mirror in the bathroom, a shower & tub, a “Natural Sounds” radio for wake-up and a sweet DVD/CD/Radio w/ hookups for your Ipod, etc. Nice touches! I’ll never go back to a standard/deluxe room!

 

Meals:

The Skippys and Us went to 2 restaurants together.

The “46” @ the Flamingo is GREAT! Skippy and I opted for the onion soup as an appetizer. GREAT CHOICE! Prolly the best I ever had, and I have had some great onion soups! Not sure what everyone had, but I had the Duck. Duck breast slices (MR) w/ a squiggle of BBQ sauce and a fried duck leg on the side. Very good. Mrs. Skippy wanted to try the duck, but we talked her out of it. She had a very good meal, I gave her a taste of my duck and she loved it. The meal was $$$$, but we all loved it. Having been to many $$$$ steak houses the “46” ranks at the top w/ several others (Harrahs, Luxor, Delmonicos) as close seconds. Great service, Great food, nice ambience, and totally enjoyable.

 

We also went to “Margaritaville” in the Flamingo. Noisy (but that’s part of the ambiance), crowded (party atmosphere), no reservations (15-20 min wait), but the food was very good, service was also good and reasonable price. About half of the “46”. I liked the place and will go back.

 

After the Skippys left we went to “Hooters”. Mrs. RR and I split a burger and an order of “Semi Hot Wings”. The last time I was at a Hooters, they gave you a variety of sauces. I had to ask for “ONE” (ranch)! They seemed geasier than the last time, but were still good. The burger was fine and the final price was $$.

Shows:

We all went to the dueling pianos in Paris. They were OK, but the last guys they had were soooo much better. No cover, prolly a one drink minimum. Prices for a cocktail were high, but I nursed mine.

We also saw Bobby Slayton. Very caustic, but funny.

 

Comps:

Here’s where I’m a little pissed and would like some info from anyone in the know…Sheik??? FWIW, I do minimal machine play. And YES this is a rant!

4-5 years ago, I was at Bally’s (Bally’s had tougher minimums than Flamingo) and did 40 hours on the tables (Blackjack, mostly) and had an average bet of $38. They fell all over me. They wouldn’t even allow me to cash-in at the player’s club area. I HAD to have an appt. w/ a host. I got over $600 in comps, a Platinum (highest at the time) Players Card and all sorts of offers for free shows, stays, etc.afterward. That lasted until last May, when I was reduced to a Gold Card. This trip and last May’s were similar so I’ll give the details from this stay. 38 + hours on the tables. $44 average bet. All I got was a $45 comp.! Why did it change so much??? It’s pretty obvious that they are discouraging table players and years ago they used to say “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how much you risk!”. That is also no longer true, IMHO, as in the instances above I won $$$ last May and last week, and lost $$$ in 4-5 years and in between, though never more than $800 for the other stays ( ~12 in the last 4-5 years).

Money at risk this stay:

38 hours X 40 hands per hour X $44= $66880 at risk! @1.5%= $1003.2 house potential.

Ok, granted, perfect strategy at Blackjack yields 1.5% house advantage. Machines, and I don’t care if they advertise 99% pay back (those #’s are based on the machine’s life/millennium, NOT a 5 day stay), typically give a minimum 15% house advantage (20% is the max based on Nevada law). True there are HOT machines, but don’t forget, computers run machines, math runs table games.

Math for machines:

38 hours X 100 pulls/hour X $15/ pull= $57000 at risk. @15%= $8550 house potential.

Comps for table players SUCK! If they could get away w/ ALL machines, I think they would. I am not dissing machine players, I guess I’m just pissed at they way they are now treating table players. The players that truly made Vegas what it is. Ahhhhh……bring back the old days when the “Boys” ran it. Everything was paid for by the Casino. Cheap rooms, meals, shows (how about $25 for a big name performer including 4 drinks! ) w/ a selection that made the wife and I say “Who DON’T we want to see!”. Yeah I sound like De Niro (Rothstein) in “Casino. Believe me, Vegas in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s ROCKED! BTW, Skippy, I never got a chance to see Terri, my fave pitboss, again. Was feeling poorly Thursday night. I guess drinking too much (for 4 days) and <5 hours of sleep /nite ain’t good! At least that is what Mrs. RR said! Dam…..I hate when she’s right!

 

I really would appreciate any and all opinions on what I wrote from those of you that frequent Vegas. T-bone? Skippy? BC? Darrin? Anyone else? Ok.....Rant over!

 

Other Notes: (Mind you I have been to Vegas 40+ times)

1) If any of you go infrequently or are not in the know, NEVER EVER let the cab driver take you from the airport to your hotel via the expressway, unless you’re staying downtown and/or maybe the far north strip. If they do….add $8+ to your fare. Don’t be shy, tell them this before leaving the curb.

2) If you have 4 or more people, consider a limo from the airport to your hotel. It will be cheaper than 2+ cabs, plus the walk in between is shorter.

3) Tip the waitress $5 for your first drink, and $2 there after. If you do you’ll never be in need of a drink and they will be as full as can be.

4) If you use the bellman going out, tip him ~ $2-3 per bag, and he’ll follow you to the curb, even if you need to checkout first! The guy I got thought I was his rich uncle and even lead me to the checkout desk and waited! This will not not work if you need time between checkout and departure.

5) Regardless of how much you bet, cigarette comps now come off your regular comps., meaning you have to show your card, get the pit boss to approve, and SIGN FOR IT. Seemed like an IRS audit!

6) Lounge shows, lately, are a great bet. The headliners are far and few between, and I’m not into the extravaganzas, good as they may be.

7) Don’t rely on comps. Bet what you can and live w/ it! It’s stoopid to risk several hundred dollars for a $100/ nite room. (Thank God I never fell into that trap)

8) Unless your doing day trips, forget the rent-a-car! Cabs are reasonable and if you drink, a DUI ain’t worth it. Figger $12 cab ride per trip up and down the strip. 2 trips a day is cheaper than a rental.

9) If you ever get a Platinum/Diamond card and lose the priveliges, keep the card! It will still get you better seats in shows, priority seating at the $$$ restaurants, and immediate seating in the coffee shop even if it’s expired! They don’t check the date!

10) If you need a good/easy to read blackjack cheat sheet, I have one, and would be more than happy to send it to anyone who wants one. It’s in MSWORD and I’ll need an email to send it. Believe me it works!

 

Questions:

I’m asking! All opinions are welcome!

I hope yall enjoy this thread, it took me 2 days to write it!

 

 

RR send your cheatsheet I would love to see it.

[Cunning Runt]

Uh, what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas.

 

Cracks me up. That's the exact first thing that came into my mind as well.

[darin3]

RR - I don't know what to say about your comps. The economy? The fact that high rollers are now VERY high rollers and the "lower-mid" roller is spending, on average, less?

 

I love Vegas. It's actually the thing I miss most about living in SoCal. I'd go at least 2-3 times a year, and there was one spring/summer where I went 4 times. That was wild.

 

What is a "GO" room? Also, do you have enough pull at the FlaminGO (oh, ok maybe I get it now) to help me and twiley out? PM coming.

 

Sounds like you and the Skip-sters had a great time. Hope you can make it out for WCOFF this time around.

[T_bone65]

Ok...Long read, but if your into Vegas, it should be worthwhile!

 

Again…..Had a great time w/ the Skippy’s! Mrs. Skippy is a lot of fun and very sweet! Mr. Skippy knows his blackjack, but as soon as he loses, he calls the dealers “cheatin’ basturdds”! We had some great hours together! And YES, Skip, ……. Mrs. RR is not my better half………..She’s my better 90%. I’m lost w/o her and she makes me SEEM like a decent guy when we’re together. God bless her!

TY, Bro, for great time!

 

Hotel Room:

I opted for a “GO’ room even though we had a full comp on a “deluxe” room. The last comped room we had was dirty and smelly. The “GO” room was very clean, w/ a 42” LG FP, electric drapes, a TV in the mirror in the bathroom, a shower & tub, a “Natural Sounds” radio for wake-up and a sweet DVD/CD/Radio w/ hookups for your Ipod, etc. Nice touches! I’ll never go back to a standard/deluxe room!

 

Meals:

The Skippys and Us went to 2 restaurants together.

The “46” @ the Flamingo is GREAT! Skippy and I opted for the onion soup as an appetizer. GREAT CHOICE! Prolly the best I ever had, and I have had some great onion soups! Not sure what everyone had, but I had the Duck. Duck breast slices (MR) w/ a squiggle of BBQ sauce and a fried duck leg on the side. Very good. Mrs. Skippy wanted to try the duck, but we talked her out of it. She had a very good meal, I gave her a taste of my duck and she loved it. The meal was $$$$, but we all loved it. Having been to many $$$$ steak houses the “46” ranks at the top w/ several others (Harrahs, Luxor, Delmonicos) as close seconds. Great service, Great food, nice ambience, and totally enjoyable.

 

We also went to “Margaritaville” in the Flamingo. Noisy (but that’s part of the ambiance), crowded (party atmosphere), no reservations (15-20 min wait), but the food was very good, service was also good and reasonable price. About half of the “46”. I liked the place and will go back.

 

After the Skippys left we went to “Hooters”. Mrs. RR and I split a burger and an order of “Semi Hot Wings”. The last time I was at a Hooters, they gave you a variety of sauces. I had to ask for “ONE” (ranch)! They seemed geasier than the last time, but were still good. The burger was fine and the final price was $$.

Shows:

We all went to the dueling pianos in Paris. They were OK, but the last guys they had were soooo much better. No cover, prolly a one drink minimum. Prices for a cocktail were high, but I nursed mine.

We also saw Bobby Slayton. Very caustic, but funny.

 

Comps:

Here’s where I’m a little pissed and would like some info from anyone in the know…Sheik??? FWIW, I do minimal machine play. And YES this is a rant!

4-5 years ago, I was at Bally’s (Bally’s had tougher minimums than Flamingo) and did 40 hours on the tables (Blackjack, mostly) and had an average bet of $38. They fell all over me. They wouldn’t even allow me to cash-in at the player’s club area. I HAD to have an appt. w/ a host. I got over $600 in comps, a Platinum (highest at the time) Players Card and all sorts of offers for free shows, stays, etc.afterward. That lasted until last May, when I was reduced to a Gold Card. This trip and last May’s were similar so I’ll give the details from this stay. 38 + hours on the tables. $44 average bet. All I got was a $45 comp.! Why did it change so much??? It’s pretty obvious that they are discouraging table players and years ago they used to say “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how much you risk!”. That is also no longer true, IMHO, as in the instances above I won $$$ last May and last week, and lost $$$ in 4-5 years and in between, though never more than $800 for the other stays ( ~12 in the last 4-5 years).

Money at risk this stay:

38 hours X 40 hands per hour X $44= $66880 at risk! @1.5%= $1003.2 house potential.

Ok, granted, perfect strategy at Blackjack yields 1.5% house advantage. Machines, and I don’t care if they advertise 99% pay back (those #’s are based on the machine’s life/millennium, NOT a 5 day stay), typically give a minimum 15% house advantage (20% is the max based on Nevada law). True there are HOT machines, but don’t forget, computers run machines, math runs table games.

Math for machines:

38 hours X 100 pulls/hour X $15/ pull= $57000 at risk. @15%= $8550 house potential.

Comps for table players SUCK! If they could get away w/ ALL machines, I think they would. I am not dissing machine players, I guess I’m just pissed at they way they are now treating table players. The players that truly made Vegas what it is. Ahhhhh……bring back the old days when the “Boys” ran it. Everything was paid for by the Casino. Cheap rooms, meals, shows (how about $25 for a big name performer including 4 drinks! ) w/ a selection that made the wife and I say “Who DON’T we want to see!”. Yeah I sound like De Niro (Rothstein) in “Casino. Believe me, Vegas in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s ROCKED! BTW, Skippy, I never got a chance to see Terri, my fave pitboss, again. Was feeling poorly Thursday night. I guess drinking too much (for 4 days) and <5 hours of sleep /nite ain’t good! At least that is what Mrs. RR said! Dam…..I hate when she’s right!

 

I really would appreciate any and all opinions on what I wrote from those of you that frequent Vegas. T-bone? Skippy? BC? Darrin? Anyone else? Ok.....Rant over!

 

Other Notes: (Mind you I have been to Vegas 40+ times)

1) If any of you go infrequently or are not in the know, NEVER EVER let the cab driver take you from the airport to your hotel via the expressway, unless you’re staying downtown and/or maybe the far north strip. If they do….add $8+ to your fare. Don’t be shy, tell them this before leaving the curb.

2) If you have 4 or more people, consider a limo from the airport to your hotel. It will be cheaper than 2+ cabs, plus the walk in between is shorter.

3) Tip the waitress $5 for your first drink, and $2 there after. If you do you’ll never be in need of a drink and they will be as full as can be.

4) If you use the bellman going out, tip him ~ $2-3 per bag, and he’ll follow you to the curb, even if you need to checkout first! The guy I got thought I was his rich uncle and even lead me to the checkout desk and waited! This will not not work if you need time between checkout and departure.

5) Regardless of how much you bet, cigarette comps now come off your regular comps., meaning you have to show your card, get the pit boss to approve, and SIGN FOR IT. Seemed like an IRS audit!

6) Lounge shows, lately, are a great bet. The headliners are far and few between, and I’m not into the extravaganzas, good as they may be.

7) Don’t rely on comps. Bet what you can and live w/ it! It’s stoopid to risk several hundred dollars for a $100/ nite room. (Thank God I never fell into that trap)

8) Unless your doing day trips, forget the rent-a-car! Cabs are reasonable and if you drink, a DUI ain’t worth it. Figger $12 cab ride per trip up and down the strip. 2 trips a day is cheaper than a rental.

9) If you ever get a Platinum/Diamond card and lose the priveliges, keep the card! It will still get you better seats in shows, priority seating at the $$$ restaurants, and immediate seating in the coffee shop even if it’s expired! They don’t check the date!

10) If you need a good/easy to read blackjack cheat sheet, I have one, and would be more than happy to send it to anyone who wants one. It’s in MSWORD and I’ll need an email to send it. Believe me it works!

 

Questions:

I’m asking! All opinions are welcome!

I hope yall enjoy this thread, it took me 2 days to write it!

 

RR,

I know what you are saying about the comps and table games, trust me on this You do need to get a casino host to ehlp you with these things go, next time ask for "The Godfather" and he will hook you up as much as he can. Just ask anyone that was with us at WCOFF when I got the Hotel shuttle bus to take us all, about 10-15 of us, to the Orleans and I wasn't even staying at the Flamingo at the time. I had just been there the week or 2 before and The Godfather knew me instantly and hooked us right up. The GO rooms at the Flamingo are very nice and are highly recommended as well. When I play Blackjack there my average bet is probably around $50 and I play for long periods of time as well, usually too long as Skippy, Twiley, Bier can all atest to as I gave back 1K plus of winnings while drinking entirely too much and having a great time with a great bunch of guys

 

The 46 Steakhouse has been recommded by me in every Vegas Eat thread and I have enjoyed it there since it was Conrads, we always used to get a comp meal there and the French Onion soup is out of this world. As you said you pay $$$$ for a meal there without a doubt.

 

Did you see our Girl Claudeen while you were there? She has never once failed to recoginze me or the Missus when we are there, always a pleasure to talk to.

 

I will be in Vegas the first week in April for business and will be staying at the Flamingo since my conference is at the Sands convention center. I hope to be able to upgrade to a suite with my comps since the Gov is paying the regular room rate.

 

I will let you know how it goes for me then RR. I am glad you guys had a great time as always.

[twiley]

What is a "GO" room? Also, do you have enough pull at the FlaminGO (oh, ok maybe I get it now) to help me and twiley out? PM coming.

I already told you my Hilton points only work at a particular location at the Flamingo which is under construction until 2009. Won't be able to use my points in any other section of the hotel.

Edited February 26, 2008 by twiley

[Skippy]

Did you see our Girl Claudeen while you were there? She has never once failed to recoginze me or the Missus when we are there, always a pleasure to talk to.

I was chatting with Claudeen the night before RR came in. She is actually one of my favorite pit people but she never seems to be working where I want to play. I am very picky about the table that I want to play at and there is now only one table in the Flamingo that fits my criteria. That table can be totally screwed by the people sitting and playing at it so I may end up on a different table but I'm not happy with the table selections.

 

6-5 blackjack, automatic shufflers, and a shoe bigger than my foot suck!

 

I think that you, T_bone, share my views on the tables as you and I seem to have found ourselves at the one and only table that works for me when we were at the Flamingo.

Edited February 26, 2008 by Skippy

[T_bone65]

I was chatting with Claudeen the night before RR came in. She is actually one of my favorite pit people but she never seems to be working where I want to play. I am very picky about the table that I want to play at and there is now only one table in the Flamingo that fits my criteria. That table can be totally screwed by the people sitting and playing at it so I may end up on a different table but I'm not happy with the table selections.

 

6-5 blackjack, automatic shufflers, and a shoe bigger than my foot suck!

 

I think that you, T_bone, share my views on the tables as you and I seem to have found ourselves at the one and only table that works for me when we were at the Flamingo.

 

Most def on that I really prefer double deck with a full table of people that know how to play the game or are willing to listen to advice. That was a total blast and we will have to do that again in the near future. I wish I could of went with you and RR. but we usually go the 1st week of March. We are giving Vegas a break this year, other then this conference and WCOFF, to take family vacations now that Elise is turning 3 this summer.

[wiegie]

You know what would be a good idea? If somebody created a website specifically for people to make posts about their trips to Vegas.

 

 

[twiley]

I really prefer double deck with a full table of people that know how to play the game or are willing to listen to advice.

It was a good time playing with you guys. I use to gamble quite a bit back in the day on blackjack but not so much anymore. I walked away with +$300 that day and played rather conservatively. I would have played longer but I had to take the 40 min one way taxi to sign in for WCOFF.

[T_bone65]

It was a good time playing with you guys. I use to gamble quite a bit back in the day on blackjack but not so much anymore. I walked away with +$300 that day and played rather conservatively. I would have played longer but I had to take the 40 min one way taxi to sign in for WCOFF.

 

I thought you were going to mention something about getting ready to puke on your shoes (That never gts old)

[twiley]

I thought you were going to mention something about getting ready to puke on your shoes (That never gts old)

That didn't happen for another 6 or 7 hours. Many more drinks and shots between then.

[Skippy]

That didn't happen for another 6 or 7 hours. Many more drinks and shots between then.

And then he left via a door that I didn't even know existed. That door went right to the penguin pool and I am pretty sure Twiley was banging a penguin that night.

 

Good times.