Over
the course of the 25 days I lost $928, so it was a losing trip.
Primarily
my play is full pay video poker, usually 10/7 DB and live limit
poker. I find the live poker harder and harder so I play for fewer
hours, leaving tables where I feel there is no chance to overcome the
rake.
I
like the Golden Nugget live poker games especially from 2 AM on as
then they double the high hand awards, but I did not hit a high hand
award this trip.
I
played the cheap poker tournaments on the Poker Pro machines at The
Plaza and the cheap poker tournaments at Sam's Town. I only cashed
once, but I think that would have brought me even had I not tried a
$60 tournament at Treasure Island.
The
quarter VP was very dry. I hit some things in nickles, like the Four
Deuces in that coin dropper at the D, and one day came out ahead at
the Orleans, but for the whole trip in quarters, played heavily at
the Four Queens I never hit a quarter royal, or 4 Aces, Deuces,
Threes, of Fours except for 3-3-3-3 at the Eastside Cannery.
I
also hit 3-3-3-3 on JOB to bring me a $15 profit when playing an
American Guide Casino coupon for a free buffet after 200 points. It
hit really on the second hand I played after earning 200 points just
to even up the cashout amount. As well as the buffet and $15 that
play earned me a free seat in the video poker tournament, but I did
not finish in the money.
Most
frustrating was to catch my first natural straight flush on the
Deuces wild nickle machine at the D. Had I caught it just steps away
and a couple hours earlier at the Vue Bar at one point the straight
progressive was four times the usual payout. Oh, well.
It
took a long while to see a straight flush, but I did hit in nickles
at the Orleans and just under 20 hands later hit again right there.
Another ironic hit.
ORLEANS:
October
play
I
only play the nickle 3 play DBVP 9/7 progressive and had a good time
with it, ending $32 down, a loss washed away by just the value of
the three free buffets I enjoyed. But I do the gambling math
separately.
My
intention is always to play enough to keep getting these mailers and
I did that on three visits, so on first my check out day I skipped
playing, hoping perhaps that day would not figure in my daily
average.
I
play the basic strategy, but do adjust a bit when the progressives
seem high. Then I hold all 3 to the Royal most of the time and skip
worrying about the 9 penalty to determine how to play suited K-Q and
just play it by itself. I still play the high pairs over 3 to the
Royal. I need to figure that mathematics out at various levels of
progressive. Luckily the one Royal I hit was caught by tossing away
JJ for 10-J-Q of clubs. I'd do that for J-Q-K as well, but not for
three to the Royal when one is an Ace. At some point that is the
better play, but that point is different for A-Q-K as the point for
A-Q-10 so I really should spend some time mapping it out. Then too
with three progressives, there would have to be a way to determine
how the higher progressives balance the lower progressives. I guess
I should take the added values and divide them by three, checking
that number on a chart to see when the three to the royal was the
better play.
The
royal I hit paid $300 or 50% more than most nickle royals.
And
in that session I was dealt 7-7-7-7 and I saved A-A-A and caught one
more Ace on two of the three lines.
Those
hands gave me a profit.
Wild
Bill says we have to be very lucky to win on those machines, but I
think the math says they are just fine.
November
play
I
played all solo this time and really chased one 450 plus royal for
two nights in a row. The first night it hit, and I quit. The second
night I had to quit at 3:30 AM just because I was too tired and it
was my last night in Vegas, so I had packing, swimming, buffet, bus
riding and plane catching in the morning.
I
was so tired at the airport I almost slept through the boarding of my
plane.
I
lost money overall, but not if the value of the free buffets is
figured into the formula, let alone the comped rooms or the delight I
took finding the Nitekings playing or swimming as late at November
14th outdoors the morning I was leaving.
And
I do love playing those video poker games. They are great fun. I
don't tire of them easily.
I
played so much that last night that I began to think that $200 in a
nickle three play pretty much sets up enough bankroll that risk of
ruin is small. I did not do the math on that, but it just felt about
right. I'd go up and down and up and down.
The
oddest hand was to hold a Queen and on the top line catch A-A-A-A.
A
dealt royal would have been worth over $4,000 in the large
progressive. That would have been very nice.
The
machines are comfortable, easy to find near the buffet and smoke
free. There is a linked bank somewhere that allows smoking.
Sometimes the locals take all the spots, but I had no difficulty this
trip. Wild Bill plays there with me. He did not have luck either.
On
Wednesdays we swipe for a point multiplier that goes through 7 PM
that day. One day I got 12X and another 15X. This is an enormous
multiplier for video poker. It did me well as I continued through
the week, giving me plenty of free food and some reduction in hotel
price at the Gold Coast.
MONTE
CARLO 2-6 SPREAD LIMIT POKER
My
poker gambling took a hard hit at this game on my first one night
stay at Monte Carlo. At first, with the locals who came for the
football high hand promotion I held my own, but later with loose
tourists I just could not seem to get a break and over about seven
hours I lost $300. I gave the game up when a fellow joined who
really liked to raise.
So
my score at the end of 3 nights in Vegas is a loss of $333.
I
did drink a bit of wine. Perhaps that hurt my game. Usually, I do
better with alcohol making it easier to be patient. The other
players were friendly and fun. I was rather quiet for the last
couple hours, concentrating and playing my best. I don't think I was
very loose either. Still, I got beat down and except for two players
I really think that I was as good or better than the others at the
table. The pots were large enough to get my money back if I just
could have caught enough power to stay in comfortably. I think I
lost with my one full house of the evening. I won with my one Ace
high flush against a couple little straights, but I did that on the
river chasing a flush when the pot was too big to fold. So that was
lucky.
I
did like the room and most of the promotions. It seemed to me I got
a lot of value for a $4 capped rake and a $1 bonus rake. From 1-5
they have a cracked Aces promotion, and I'd be drawn in by that, but
there is this quirky rule that the winner must have played both cards
in his hand in order for the cracked Aces loser to get paid. Strange
and very frustrating. Even the brush did not know of the rule at
first when I asked, but with another player reporting hearing this
from a dealer that afternoon, he looked it up and sure enough it was
there.
I
played there two nights later and it was a much softer game. When we
were down to three late night they negotiated just a one dollar rake.
I talked the other two into playing pineapple and we had a grand
time, picking up two other players into the early morning. It earned
me enough hours for an entry in the freeroll the next weekend.
I
did not realize that freeroll chips are determined by how many hours
were played with more chips given for each hour over the minimum.
That, and the fact that I faced tough regular locals made it a much
harder tournament than the old Flamingo freeroll I used to play.
They paid high, but I was eliminated early when my trip kings were
beat by a flush.
I
like this game, but not when there is a promotion like the football
that draws in the regular locals. They are too tough for me. Late
night tourists work better.
MANDALAY
BAY
I
played the 3-6 here and enjoyed it. I had slept from 5 to midnight
and so I think that gave me a good edge. I won $129.
FLAMINGO
This
used to be one of my main places to play 2-4 limit poker. Ask dealer
Dave who continues to remember me.
Then
they lost me when CET started charging resort fees that watered down
any room comps from poker play.
And
on top of that the poker room changed the way it was run and I hated
the changes.
The
changes are now reversed to what they once were.
Rake
is $5 and $1 but there is a bad beat that can be hit if quad sixes
are beat. As I understand it that does not change, so I won't arrive
to find the qualifying bad beat is K's or better being beat.
They
do still have a freeroll for a certain number of hours.
And
once again they have some high hand payouts.
So
I perhaps should have been attracted to the spot, but I went just
once or twice. I did just okay. I did not have the fun I used to
remember, but then in addition to losing any room deals, the diabetes
has me not drinking beer and the Flamingo poker room comped some
great beer.
The
old dealer I loved, Steve, is retired. Dave is still there and
laughing at my antics, but I don't know too many of the others.
Pauline from El Cortez works there now. She did not remember me.
EASTSIDE
CANNERY
I
played twice at the Eastside Cannery 2-4-6 limit game. It is a
difficult game played mostly by locals who play very tight and well
and all know one another.
Each
time I was waiting for the Claudine Castro Latin Lounge Act on Monday
nights.
The
first time, there were just five of us. I flopped a full house and
so did an old fellow to my left. I checked and called. I checked
and called the turn. I checked and then raised the $6 river.
Normally,
I'd have raised earlier, but these players are easily scared off a
hand. I did not know he had a full house.
Mine
beat his.
Just
a few hand later the same thing happened.
That
time I had sevens full of Aces and he announced tens full of sevens,
but the dealer noticed he only had sevens full of tens and I got the
pot.
“You
mean I get a full house twice and still can't win?” he asked
incredulously and then he left in disgust.
My
second visit I left $50 down. I just knew I was not going to make
any money that night.
I
played video poker and was mad at myself for getting so far down
where I was not staying. Finally, I hit 3-3-3-3, a nice hand on 10/7
Double Bonus and I quit just down $12 for the day.
THE
GOLDEN NUGGET
This
continues to me my favorite 2-4 game, and we managed to play it this
time with a half kill that helps redistribute the money of loose
players and overcome the rake. I like playing from 2 AM until
breakfast because high hands are doubled and opponents are often
drunk or tired. I did that only a couple times, once getting the
benefit of my American Casino Guide coupon for $10 of free chips.
Here
is one day there:
I
expected to have a fairly early bedtime, but just kept staying at
the poker table.
Bill
was there.
The
lawyer like woman with the arguments on bus passes was there.
A
guy knicknamed Rio I had met last year who lives just outside my
hometown of Buffalo joined the table, and a regular old guy named
Jack was there, stacking his chips in huge twin tower columns.
We
were a good ways into the night when the game was going to break and
players be scattered. I suggested was play 3-6 and there was some
other interest, so the 2-4 became a 3-6 with a half kill of 4-8.
It
changed the game from one of no fold em Hold em to more like true
limit with a few people still playing too loose, me being at time one
of those.
The
worst loose hand I had was when for some unknown reason in last
position I played J-3 suited and then bet the 3 when it flopped. I
had three callers. Both the turn and river were checked, so I just
bluffed. It would have worked too if I had not misread my hand. I
actually had J-2 suited. It might have worked anyway if my third
caller was not so loose that she called me with her pair of 3's and
won the hand.
I
did catch some good cards and win some good pots. Right hear the end
I had four to the diamond royal and was hoping the river might give
me a $500 bonus, but I did not even river another diamond. The very
next hand I took pocket Aces to trips on the turn and was again
hoping the river might give me a bonus, but not Ace came. However,
that time I won because the river did pair the board 5's and my
opponents folded when I bet.
A
few hands before I left I was down $8, but when I did finally go at 2
AM I was down $24 which seems the rule of my play this trip. That
meant I had gambled hard all day from 10AM until 2PM and ended up
ahead exactly $5. Well, as a fellow player reminded me, winners
can't be whiners.
THE
PLAZA
This
downtown casino is attempting a comeback and doing what they can to
attract gamblers. They boosted their video poker up to full pay.
They
have a section of Poker Pro poker machines like those that excalibur
abandoned.
These
machines do not collect much of a following, but I actually like them
better than tables with dealers and chips. Everything is controlled.
So the woman I beat out of a tournament at The Plaza could not toss
chips for a call watch me ready to call, and then say raise, a
string bet that she got away with at the Golden Nugget. Bets are in
order. Everyone acts in turn. There is no question who checked and
who did not.
The
rake for a cash game is much smaller than a normal table and there is
no dealer to tip, so every pot won gets an extra dollar or more.
Right
now they have tournaments all day that are too cheap to keep going,
but just great for low bankrolled players. There did not seem to be
just maniacs dominating either. It played like poker.
Poker
buddy Slink told us the Plaza was offering these incredibly cheap
poker tournaments, some as low as $3. Son Frank and I played one
that we could play for $5 or double our chips for $15. We doubled.
It
was a fine game with all sorts of mixes of players and most folks
having a good time. It is played on the Poker Pro poker machines in
an effort to get people used to the machine. I've always liked the
machines and my bankroll was dwindling. Son Frank is not a great
player and did not want to gamble away too much. So this was
perfect.
We
both played for over 2 hours. I played for two and a half, betting
lucky when I was down. Once I took a huge pot with A-2 when the
river gave me the wheel. My main opponent went all in with a
Broadway draw and a poor player called with a pair of 4's. So I
would have won as long as the river did not make their hands bigger
than Aces, but the five cinched it.
Most
of the night I got Ace small. It frustrated me.
One
other hand I remember was K-Q off. A fellow went all-in with very
few chips. He had Q-10. Two queens hit the flop.
Also
I had 7-8 and an inside straight draw. I called after the flop just
a small bet. I caught the river for the nut straight. A woman who
probably had the small straight called my healthy bet which put her
all-in. Another opponent folded.
If
anything, I think that I value bet more than I needed to on this
table.
I
did play a fine, tight game. At times I was worried that I would
just drain my chips away.
I
had J-9 from the blind, and the flop gave 9 as high card with little
crap with it.
I
bet.
My
opponent moved all in with a small straight draw and I called,
figuring him for a 9, lower kicker.
He
was a very loose player.
I
had him beat until the turn when he caught his straight. It may have
been a poor bet on my part, but had I almost doubled up on that hand,
I could have let the others fight it out and had a good chance at
being in the money.
At
any rate it was a good bit of fun poker for very little money.
The
clerk said the cash games are starting to take off. She explained
the rake and other details. If I remember it raked a max of 3 with 1
for the promotions.
A
fine jazz band played my kind of music. It was wondertul to be
sitting player poker and listening to their great sounds. On the
break the pumped in sounds were decent as well. None of that whinny
nasal modern stuff with indeciperable lyrics.
I'd
definitely play there.
I
expect by the time I get back there may be only regular games offered
and not these dirt cheap tournaments.
Plaza
video poker:
Offerings
include 9/6 JOB at the bar with Guiness as a comped beer. I surveyed
a bit and found both 10/7 DB and 10/6 DDB, the last one is truly
amazing to find. I did not look for Deuces
A
a five dollar buy in the max buy in was $15 and I played for two and
a half hours. My son stayed in almost that long. I made a move and
lost to a draw on the turn or I'd have been in the money.
The
ambiance is music from a three piece jazz group or piped in music
from my generation, not the new whining nasal stuff and not so loud
that thinking is impossible.
I
liked this place and I may stay there next trip if they keep it
similar to what it is now. However, by next year all might be
changed.
SAM'S
TOWN
I
like their inexpensive morning $23 tournament.
After
quite a few days of waking up early wishing I could go back to sleep
and feeling tired most of the day, I woke up one Friday feeling well
rested.
I
was downtown and decided to go out and play the early morning
tournament at Sam's Town. I came 15 minutes late, but the first hour
is limit poker, so I did not get much of a disadvantage. The cost
was $23.
During
the entire tournament I played just 3 hands to the river and those
were not memorable.
But
during the play some fellows told me the 1 PM tournament was very
good on Fridays and weekends.
So
I caught a fine free buffet and went back for that game.
There
were four tables and twice I expected to go out because I was so far
down and the blinds were going up. I remember going all in with J-8
of spades and getting lucky on the river, catching the flush.
When
we got down to the last table, I still was very poor in chips.
There
started to be talk of chopping, but the guy who was second chip
leader wanted to stay and play because he had come 2000 miles to play
poker and wanted as much game as he could get.
He
was very polite about it and perhaps a bit embarrassed. One local
argued that from that time on it would just be a “push fest” and
not real poker. One other argued that there was another tournament
coming in two hours. And someone or another proposed a chop every
other hand.
I
lost half my chips.
There
was onE woman there with just $40 left to the left of the fellow who
wanted to play and it may be that he did not want to see her
eliminated, but at any rate, finally, for some reason he agreed to
chop against his better interest and in my favor.
So
I collected $132 minus a $5 tip, my first tournament win in a long
while.
Then
I went to play full Deuces. Friday at Sam's was 7X points for VP,
and that seemed good although it seems to me that there is some way
they figure that which reduces the benefit. I can't remember the
details.
I
played a long while and was as much as $60 ahead, but in the end,
again according to the pattern of my play at this stage of the trip,
I lost $25. So I wished I had played nickles.
The
most memorable hand was being dealt five Aces.
I
got a good share of Deuces and quite a few trip Deuces but never the
four of them. And once I had four to the natural Royal, but did not
even catch the flush.
I
like the 2-6 spread limit game but whenever I looked the tougher
regulars were playing and I decided to play full pay Deuces instead.
PALACE
STATION
I
did not play long at the 2-4-6 game here, but long enough to feel I
liked it. It is certainly frequented by locals, but they also spread
the 2-6 spread limit game and that may draw the more difficult
players. The 2-4-6 had only one $2 blind. I certainly like that.
And we could play out of racks, something I like very much and is
rarely tolerated.
I'll
be back.
TREASURE
ISLAND
I
played a $60 tournament here in the afternoon with my buddy Wild
Bill, but it was a mistake. He and Slink had played a week before
and the competition was week, but this game was very hard. I was out
fairly soon, but I doubt I would have done much at the final table
had I stayed long enough to see.
I
won't play that one again.
SLOT
PLAY
I
don't want to give the impression I never EVER play slots.
I
just don't play them often.
If
I'm thirsty and bored and out of bankroll, I'll play slots for
pennies. Even if I have time to waste I might do that.
Wild
Bill and I had time to waste at the Riviera, and so we played a bit.
I
found this game called Hot Rolls.
It
was similar to this one
It
is basically a Bazing seven old fashioned slot with a very unusual
Bonus round.
Three
symbols have to catch, one on each reel. If two catch the third reel
slows down for the drama. I like that.
If
all three catch then you get a pair of dice to flick with your
fingers and so many Bonus points for each roll. The virtual dice fly
all over the screen and bounce and so it is somewhat like craps.
Playing
for pennies with Wild Bill I just seemed to be hitting and I think I
left a couple dollars ahead.
So,
the next time I went to the comedy, I decided to play that slot
again. This time I extravagantly went up to a dime a spin, 5 lines
at 2 cents a line.
Well,
no luck this time.
I
almost quit when I was down ten dollars, but I just felt something
and continued until I was down $15 and then it was not fun anymore.
I
played Texas Tea mostly to remember my old buddy Jerry who loved that
slot. I had watched him play in Vegas and at Foxwoods.
Jerry
plays mostly slots.
I
remember once I tried to teach him the idea of wonging the slots that
for a time would build up a small bank, and when it reached a certain
point, the advantage of playing just one coin until the bank
was broker was with the player. It was a very frugal way to play.
One
Vegas trip I walked up and down the strip, wonging the firecracker
Honeymooner slots and the Piggy Banking slots. I kept track of all
my gambling, and at the end of my stay I'd won $12 doing that. Now,
I'd played craps and blackjack and video poker that week quite a bit.
When I came to head home, I was ahead for the trip, by exactly $12,
the wonging winnings.
Well,
that day at Foxwoods Jerry was a slot player, so he wasn't going to
be a frugal wonging guy. He had to play full coin and the machine
was hot and paid him a profit of over $700.
Of
course, he bought me lunch and gave me all the credit even though he
had not really listened at all to a word I said. I'd given him a new
lucky slot.
So
I play Texas Tea for pennies.
I
tried it at the Four Queens when I was tired one night and that
machine was very unsatisfying. The sound was off.
So,
one day when I did not want to really gamble I walked up to play off
my $10 freeplay at El Cortez from the American Casino Guide and that
Texas Tea I enjoyed. Once I played it for 2 hours, drank four Myers
Rum and then cashed out for $6, so it has memories. That time the
old poker room was still going and the dealers and players would come
out to chat on a break from the game. It was sad to see the old
poker area gone, and Jackie gone.
Well,
that Texas Tea was fun but it was a short $10. I suppose I upped the
bet. I wasn't drinking, so I did not have to stretch it out and the
armadillo, although much more entertaining than the armadillo they
had hired for the Four Queens machine seemed to lack some of the
charm he had once expressed when I was into three or four Myers rums.
I
wandered down to this slot:
I
usually play a few dollars in it because it is the last of its kind.
There is no random number generator. The reels do use electricity to
start the spin, but after that they are truly “slots” with a
mechanical pin going into a slot to determine the outcome. These are
antiques. When they are gone there won't be anymore.
So
I bought a $20 roll of dollar coins at the cage and decided to run
them through ($2 a spin) just once and just quit.
At
the end of 10 spins I had $120, a profit of $100. Of course, I had
to keep spinning until I lost. The next spin lost and destroyed the
mathematical beauty of a $100 win by giving me just $98 profit, but I
did not feel bad about that at all. I cashed out and walked back
downtown.
I
see that in the new American Casino Guide the $10 free play coupon is
gone. So, I suppose if I play the pennies and Texas Tea for drinks
or memories, I'll have to use real money.
Well,
I think I'm crossing the El Cortez off my list anyway. The $3 craps
seems to be gone.
Perhaps
they will now attract just the upscale gambler and not guys like me
who go in frugally and only leave money if we get too loose by
mistake.
Sad.
What
I don't know for next time is whether I want to be gambling so many
days as I was this trip, or pay for some cheap rooms (Arizona
Charlie's out Boulder for example) where I don't intend to gamble and
have more time for museums and birding and poking around many of the
places I missed for music or shows or such.
I
don't want to set myself up so that any trip incurs a huge loss of
bankroll. On the other hand, I like having good chances to have a
winning trip like an earlier one I had when I hit two quarter royals.
Just
one quarter royal would have made this a winning trip.
Well,
I have some time to consider all this. I probably can't go until
next October and my wife is lobbying for another kind of trip even at
that time of the year.
We'll
see.
I
hate giving Vegas up.
