NEWSLETTER NUMBER ONE

DEWEY’S BIRTHDAY BASH NEWSLETTER
NUMBER ONE 2-25-2006


THE POTENTIAL GUEST LIST SWELLS DELIGHTFULLY

At the present time I have 30 e-mail addresses. If half of those addresses result in a visit, I’ll celebrate my birthday with 30 people in about 15 fine intimate gatherings through the month of December.

And I get the pleasure of writing about Vegas in anticipation of the trip.

It just don’t get no better than that!

Between now and December, in this newsletter, I’ll organize and send specials and deals, list resources, answer questions, report on researched information, make suggestions.

I won’t offer to personally guide you around the city. I’ve done that so many times that I just don’t want to go up in the Stratosphere tower again for a long while. 15 times was enough for me. Besides, on the 14th visit, I finally got Elizabeth up there at romantic sunset time and got kissed. So anything after that would just be anticlimactic (so to speak)

And I don’t mean to suggest I know everything about Vegas. I don’t know as much about renting in the fancy strip hotels like Bellagio; I always go on the cheap. But I’m on every casino’s mailing list, so I see the e-mail specials from the big boys too and on the blog there is a link just for strip hotel specials that updates daily.

In addition, I subscribe to a large number of regular Vegas newsletters and talk to a national bulletin board network of Vegas travelers as well as Vegas locals, so I hear the ins and outs of car rentals, shopping, music, spas, shows, good food, promotional deals, coupons, traveling around the desert, etc. What I don’t know, I can find out by posting questions and getting answers from others like me who make Vegas travel a hobby.

I also know how to organize the huge space and opportunities of Vegas, for gamblers and nongamblers alike, so they can easily get around to see what they want to see, and so they know what is available in each area, enabling them to use their short time efficiently. I have done that now for many people. Vegas is huge and can only be tasted, so it is useful if you know just how to get the best bite in the time you have.

Finally, I have opened a new Blog dedicated to the Birthday Bash. On it I will put most of the general information that is in these newsletters. I always keep personal details off blogs, so notes on who is coming and when and last names will not be posted there . Featured will be past newsletters, pictures that illustrate newsletter content, other resource web links, and summaries of sections like the FAQ’s at the bottom of this page.

Also, on the Birthday Blog there is room for you and other readers to comment after each posted piece and share information, opinions, anecdotes, concerns with all the other readers. Finally, there is an entire section of recommended links so if you want, you can read about how to best play every casino game, look at the best maps, follow my last 4 years of Vegas exploits, get an overview of every casino hotel, well.....you get the picture.

SKIM SKIM SKIM SKIM SKIM SKIM SKIM

The majority of NEWSLETTER readers are Vegas virgins; they have never before visited Las Vegas. So those of you who are Vegas veterans will have to be patient with details that aren’t news to you. I will try to arrange the newsletter with headlines like a newspaper.

WHAT TO DO NOW

It is premature to book air or rooms yet, but perhaps not too early to block out dates on the calendar for your visit.

I plan to be in Vegas from approximately December 6th until December 27th. I will probably stay in the less pricey downtown area for Dec 6-12 when Vegas fills up with cowboys and cowgirls for the National Rodeo Finals (biggest rodeo event in the nation). Then I will try to book at the Orleans for most of the rest of the time, unless something unpredicted drives up their prices also or some free offer lures me away for a couple days. Most years the Orleans have offered very cheap rooms in December.






FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ NUMBER ONE:
I CAN’T BE AWAY FROM SCHOOL/WORK/HOME FOR TOO LONG. CAN I VISIT VEGAS FOR A LONG WEEKEND AND STILL ENJOY MYSELF?

Easily!
For example, if you can get out of work a little early on Thursday or Friday and get to the airport in time to catch the 2:30PM Southwest direct flight, you will arrive in Vegas at supper time.

The Southwest nonstop return gives you most of a day in Vegas and you are home in time to get a goodnight’s sleep for the next day of work.

And there are lots of other air options.

(I recommend the nonstop because it shortens the trip, allows uninterrupted sleeping, lessens a chance of getting stuck in a snowstorm in some stopover city, and virtually eliminates any chance of misplaced baggage.)

some sample Southwest schedules:
Albany to Vegas
768 2:30pm 5:00pm Nonstop
1023/2201 4:00pm 9:05pm BWI/1
128/1578 5:45pm 11:25pm MDW/1


Vegas to Albany
2877 3:50pm 11:30pm Nonstop
532/1138 12:00pm 9:35pm MDW/1
312/1497 1:10pm 10:20pm MDW/1


So, by taking just one weekday off of work, you can have 3 full days and one night in Vegas. Going to Vegas by air is about like driving to Buffalo, only you don’t have to bring your boots or worry about getting snowed in.

Three days is not enough time to see everything. It is just enough time to get a taste. But with good planning, it will be a memorable snack.

FAQ NUMBER TWO:
I DO NOT LIKE TO GAMBLE. CAN I STILL HAVE FUN IN VEGAS?

Absolutely!
I have taken two of my nongambling good friends (Jill from Albany, and Frank from London, England) around Vegas for an entire week on a whirlwind schedule and they had a blast. In fact, I recommend it for nongamblers because they can still get great deals on hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap or the best gourmet food, free or inexpensive shows and entertainment and don’t have to worry about risking money. Gamblers pay for your vacation.
I can even tell you where as a Vegas virgin you can gamble $10 absolutely for free. Kid Peter and his girl Jen did a lot of that on their last visit. $10 goes a long way if you play a penny at a time so you can have a frugal slot experience and be guaranteed no losses. Jill took her 10 free dollars and recklessly gambled on penny slots for a couple hours at the famous Palms before she cashed out and took $6 home. Another Vegas winner!

INVITATION

My 60th is a Moveable Feast

Here is how I’m planning to celebrate turning 60 this year.

Vegas ********* Vegas ******* Vegas****
*** Vegas****** Vegas*****
*** Vegas********
***** Vegas***************


No surprise there I suppose.

Only not in my birthday month, when Vegas is expensive and my kids can’t all arrange to come anyway.

I’m going to do it in December, when Vegas is dirt cheap and we can go and stay through Christmas.

Want to come?

Here is the way my MOVEABLE FEAST BIRTHDAY PARTY works.

I have not booked my rooms yet, but I plan to be in Vegas from approximately December 6th until a day or two after Christmas. I will probably stay in the less pricy downtown area for Dec 6-12 when Vegas fills up with cowboys and cowgirls for the National Rodeo Finals. Then I will try to book at the Orleans for most of the rest of the time, unless something unpredicted drives up their prices also. Most years they have very cheap rooms in December.

I’m inviting everyone I know to come and meet me for a meal, an hour of gambling, a show, a beer, some dancing in a lounge, a game at the same poker table, a walk down the strip, or whatever you might like to do.

No set time for a party; the party is for most of the month, everyday, 24/7.

No presents; Just your presence.

No particular time obligation; just a little fun time together at your convenience.

But if it works right I’ll be able to have a number of nice, small, intimate gatherings and celebrate all through December. And after sharing an event with me and wishing me a Happy 60th, you can take the rest of your trip to do those things in Vegas or California, in Utah, Arizona or the Grand Canyon that you always wanted to do.


And here is my present to you:

I can help you preplan those trips a little, I will have experienced all of them and talked and planned with others who also have done them, so I will have some ideas, or at least some internet resources, that will help you find what you want.


I won’t offer to personally guide you around the city. I’ve done that so many times that I just don’t want to go up in the Stratosphere tower again for a while. 15 times was enough for me. Besides on the 14th I finally got Elizabeth up there at romantic sunset time and got kissed. So anything after that would just be anticlimatic (so to speak)

But between now and December I will establish an email list of anyone even mildly interested in a trip West in December. To the people who ask to be on that list, I’ll send all the specials and deals and resources for planning that I discover in my daily surfing of Vegas boards and I’ll answer questions and be a resource to help plan your trip for you.

I’ll also keep you aware of how the details of my own plans modify as the planning continues and of the dates other people are considering traveling in case you want to hook up with them also. Right now, for example, all my kids (except Cory who will most likely be in Africa) are hoping to manage to be in Vegas together with me, probably sometime between December 19th and Christmas Day. I’ve stressed to all of them too that there is no obligation to attend. This is a no obligation invitation. If no one attends, I’ll be stuck by myself playing poker. Not bad for Plan B.

And I don’t mean to suggest I know everything about Vegas. I don’t know as much about renting fancy strip hotels like Bellagio or rooms in the most luxurious of places; I always go on the cheap. Besides I really don’t think there are too many deals at the high end. But I do know some very nice places, like the Orleans, which sometimes rent at dirt cheap prices. I got kid Peter four nights there this January at $18 a night because I caught an internet sale and he acted in time. And I know how to organize the huge space of Vegas, for gamblers and nongamblers alike, so they can easily get around to see what they want to see and so they know what is available in each area enabling them to use their short time their efficiently. I have done that now for many people.

I also subscribe to a large number of regular Vegas newsletters and talk to a national network of Vegas travelers and locals on bulletin boards, so I hear the ins and outs of car rentals, shopping, music, shows, good food, promotional deals, coupons etc and I can find out almost anything by posting questions on these boards and getting answers from others like me who make Vegas travel a hobby.


Think about it and let me know.
For my last trip reports:
Poker Bluegill: Vegas Busts my Bankroll (1 of 3)
Poker Bluegill: Vegas Trip Report in Miniscule condensed gambling detail
Poker Bluegill: LAST VEGAS TRIP - ENCOUNTERING STRANGERS

trip reports 2004

I am certain I must have gone at least twice this year, but only this one was posted

Date of Trip: December 07, 2004 to November 30, 1999 Hotel Stayed At: El Cortez/ Orleans Report by: dewey From: Averill Park NY

Dewey’s Trip report

This won’t be a consecutively narrated trip report. I enjoyed Las Vegas from
December 7th until December 26th and if I started out by describing in detail
my exact seat on Southwest airlines direct flight Albany to Vegas and the
weather, I’d have to write so long that I’d miss the flight for my next trip in
August.
I’ll just try to touch on the highlights.
But it will still be long.
In Vegas there are just sooooo many highlights.

My first six nights I stayed for free at the El Cortez based on one day of play
last year. One offer came last summer and another just before I left. Included
in the second was a free steak dinner for two.

Oh, I know you would not stay there. But guess what? The rooms in the
newly renovated tower are as big and rich and comfortable as those in the
Orleans. Hard to believe? Try one. The mattress is so thick you have to jump
up to get on the bed.

Of course, I’ll never stay free again because I did not play there enough. Too
much smoke. Too many old people like me. At 58 I want to see across the
poker table beautiful young women who still have their own teeth. At the El
Cortez poker room (not a room at all but just a table flopped in the middle of
the casino) all I could see was the wrinkled skin of too many years of cigarette
smoke. I did win some money with a nice straight flush that a wrinkled old
woman bet into. And I won another hand when on a lark I played a seven-two
suited and hit a flush that held up. But generally it was too smoky to see my
cards.

Also, the 10/7 video poker is shrinking at El Cortez. The remaining machines
all deal the cards with one second delays, so a hand goes:
click.....click....click...click...........c...l..i..c...k. This is a lot of fun in the early
morning when I am half awake and having my hot chocolate. The suspense
of each hand is delightful. But anytime after ten am the pace puts me back to
sleep.

I played at the 4 Queens. They did not send me free rooms this year except at
times I could not go. Perhaps they will next year. Their 10/7DB was fast and
had an added advantage, a progressive royal that was $1,987. No.. I did not
hit it. Someone else did while I was there and then all the players cashed out
and went home.

I cashed out went over to the Golden Nugget to nurse my wounds on nice
new nickel 10/7 DB where the quads flowed like manna and I made back the
$200 I lost at the Queens.

Meanwhile Kid Pete, my 24 year old son, who had brought just $200 to
gamble for 4 days was hitting the Blackjack like it was butter. He played
progressively and won multiple hands, multiple times in a row. He was
starting to get rich, but I was worried. I invite him in December because it is
time to use up all those accumulated matchplay and coupons and that is a
great way for him to gamble on a low bankroll and with a huge advantage. I
taught him to hit and run like he did at the Hard Rock last year where a $10
free play netted him $82 at no risk. This year he would not run. If he won the
matchplay, and I think he did every time, he would stay and progress it.

He did fine at the Four Queens, but his real victory was at the Sahara where
we had gone for the $50 in chips for $40 promotion and $10 freeplay for new
signups. It got so I could not watch anymore; each time I visited his table he
was in some crazy hand.

First I visited and he had a $15 bet out. Way too much for his bankroll in my
opinion. Two eights came. He split. a third eight came. Split again and then
again on the fourth eight. They would not let him split his fifth eight, but he
doubled down against the dealers 6 and won all of it when another eight and
an over card busted the dealer.

The next time I visited he had kept his progression going and had nine $5
chips stacked for the upcoming hand. My stomach turned over. He was dealt
two aces. Without hesitation he reached for another stack of 9 chips to split
them, placing half his entire initial bankroll on one hand. And he won.

His table did not want him to leave as he was very entertaining, and they
believed he had somehow magically put the dealer into a busting mood.
Perhaps that is why they tolerated the last hand I saw him play.

He had just one chip and up came two queens. Laughingly he announced, “I
want to play with this one a little. I’ll split them.”

Oh, Pete, I thought. Not since John Scarne has this been good play.

“I want to get four queens,” he joked, “My favorite casino.”

Great, I thought. Now you have insulted the Sahara casino and made a play
bound to get you hated by every other player at your table.

But damn if the four queens did not show up all in a row and all hit with picture
cards and an ace. He won all four. and the dealer busted, so the table was
happy. In fact, they held on to his arm to keep him there as I dragged him
away with his profit.

Whether the kid was ready to go or not, I was. I had played my $10 freeplay
off one nickel at a time on Reel Em In and then kept my $7 profit after having
the fun of two videos. My only slot play of the trip except a limited number of
Megabucks pulls using the money I save all year by not buying lottery tickets.


Blackjack was like that for Peter the entire trip. When he did have a losing
streak, it was on a $1 at Nevada Palace so it hardly put a dent in his bankroll.
On the last day he was up $595 and planned to use the money for a
computer. We stopped at Terrible’s on the way to the airport to play off some
matchplays and grab a free T-shirt. He got caught again. I was exhausted.
He had run me into early morning gambling a couple times and we old guys
get up at 6 am no matter what. So I took a nap in the car.
When it was time to go, he woke me up and said with a laugh, “Well, I’m
up $75.” My stomach churned. I just knew he would do this, risk it all and
lose it just before the plane.
“You look mad,” he remarked.
“Hey, It’s your money.” I responded, not wanting to play the lecturing parent.
“I’m $75 up, “ he said again, and I guessed he was trying to tell me that being
up and going home was a good thing, regardless of how much was won or
lost.
“And that makes me $670 for the trip,” he added.
it was a good thing that we were going to the airport. Otherwise I’d have
killed him.

It was more work to get the rooms for the rest of the trip. I had made and
canceled reservations and finally had four overlapping reservations at the
Orleans, most of them for $20, four for free, Christmas eve and Christmas day
were more. I actually had mace one in the spring when for some reason their
HOT HOT HOT advertisement included a call for two free nights in December.
A few things need to be said here about booking. Book early with the hotel
and keep looking for deals. I got some rates directly off the internet. One I
needed to book using my mastercard. Some I got at discounters and then
called the Orleans so they would match my price. When you book with the
hotel, you can cancel when you get a better deal. Also, forget trying to sign up
for every card in Vegas. I did that and it was a mistake, especially since I did it
before I was retired and could go when the rooms were offered. As a newbie,
even with just a little play, you will get free room offers and never get them
again. So scatter your new cards. After five years going to Vegas, once five
times in one year, by last December I still had not got an El Cortez card. One
day of play on my new card got me six free nights for the next December. I
was glad to have saved that card because the week I took free was the
National Rodeo week and so many of my other places were not offering any
deals.
And don’t take a card unless they give you something. Now the come on is
$10 freeplay. That ain’t bad. Better than just a funbook which you can get
usually anyway.
The Orleans is a great place to stay. The rooms are large and comfortable.
The service is always perfect. People will go out of their way to please you. It
is even more wonderful when you draw together your friends and family to
join you. I managed to talk my wife into coming for a while this year and that
motivated her brother from California. I also drew my son and his love from
Chicago, and another son from Rochester. And there were lots of people from
the bulletin boards meeting too. When an old friend and colleague visited my
house and I told him about $20 rooms, he came with his fiancé. So it was one
big overlapped party, and I was often the tour guide.
I know many of you from this board were there and meeting, but I could not
make it. I did meet DoriFrankel and her husband Mel. What great folks! It
turns our they are relatives of a friend of my oldest son who I’ve known for
years. The kids were laughing like crazy. they though they were introducing
us, but we had bumped into one another at one time or another on this board.
And we bumped into one another often in that nice, cozy orleans
environment.
Even when we did not plan to meet up, we bumped into one another
because the Orleans is small and uncrowded.
In the morning we often met at breakfast. I never thought oatmeal cold taste
so good, but you try that Orleans oatmeal with fresh strawberries, brown
sugar, raisins, pecans all in little cups so you mix your own hot and sweet.
Yum.
I decided since I was there for a long stretch I’d aggressively play DB 10/7
and see if a slot host would give me anything on my food or rooms. Well, that
was a mistake. Maybe because i just play quarters or I hit the royal and they
thought I had won enough. Anyway, they did not give me much. I may get a
little off the Christmas prices, but next trip they only promised me one comped
day and the rest at casino rate. That casino rate business is a laugh. If you
can’t beat that on the internet, your fingers must be lazy. so I learned that to
really get comped I need to play at a higher level and perhaps have a spouse
who plays with me.
Still it is a wonderful place to play quarter 10/7 DB. You can sit at any bar
and have a drink and play and listen to the conversation. I met other VP
players there and had good talks about the game. I sdaw the Royal that Mel
Frankel had dealt to him. he kept it up so we could see the hold buttons. I hit
a royal in hearts, saving 10-J-Q and throwing another heart away.
At the Irish Pub you can get comped a pint of imported Beemish stout and
listen to live music as you play. It does not get better than that.
Music in general is great at the Orleans. There was a fine band with two
Filipino dancers who were wonderful. One could be my daughter-in-laws
twin. Nick Conte came with that sexy Asia Kim flipping her long hair through
some fine jazzy numbers. You can go there with those free drink coupons in
the funbooks. I even took the coupons for two free beers at Brendan's and
carried the beers to the lounge. The Gold Coast has coupons for the Orleans
in their book too. And save the Gold Coast coupons. It is a great musical treat
to go over the the Gold Coast in the early afternoon and listen to the “Dixie
land Jazz Band” which does not play dixieland but everything from the swing
era and as well as I have ever heard it played anywhere. All the old folks
gather there to listen and dance. With a couple of free coronas and a couple
75 cent hot dogs from the sports area you have a fine lunch treat.

In my book it beats the new Haufbrau across from the hard Rock. The music
there was not very good and the food and beer while good enough were
overpriced. $10 a pint for beer when it is free is pretty hard to swallow. But
my wife liked it. I got a kick out of the long horn they set on a table and then
played twenty feet back on top of another table. Otherwise, I’ll take the Gold
Coast.

I played two live poker tournaments, one at Luxor and one at Cannery. They
were fun but I did not get beyond the half way mark . I drove out to the
Cannery to use matchplays and a coupon for a Bonus for 4-K and take
advantage of the Bonus they have every day, but this year they do not have
the Bonus for any full pay poker like 10/7 DB. i did not notice that and hit the
four Aces almost right away. the guy paid me anyway just one time. so i took
my winnings and left.

I also went to Fiesta Rancho and loved it. They have 10/7 in Nickels and in
DIMES. They also have a great new skating rink, but my feet were bad and I
was afraid to try. They actually have on Wednesday’s a Senior Skate for $5
with skates included. Incredible! I’d love to stay our there but I don’t suppose
that will happen.

I would recommend planning a matchplay trip to Arizona Charlie’s, then
Fiesta and Texas Station in conjunction with a ride to Red Rock. I did not
make the Texas buffet which is a chili lovers dream. I did get a taste of both
Boulder Station and Sunset Station and loved both.

We spent a couple all nighters at the Nevada Palace playing dollar craps
where after an all night session of of dollar craps and blackjack, they will
comp breakfast. There I met my local relatives. They jeer at me constantly
about my gambling. It seems I don’t know that real craps players place all the
numbers and all the hard ways and maybe the eleven and the craps too. All I
do is pass and come bets sometimes combined with one dark side bet to
hedge the volatility. And you can imagine how much superstitious crap I take
when I make that one hedge dark side bet. I mention it is not really a “dark
side” bet but just a way to control the volatility. My relatives think that
“volatility” is what you have when you raise your voice in rage against dark
side bettors. In fact, they don’ t have any respect for my Tomski color coded
VP strategy sheets or my keeping track of wins and losses or my conservative
craps betting. One of them knows just when to gamble because her machine
( a short pay 7/5 Bonus) “calls” to her and tells her the Royal is due.

And she always wins.

Well, she does ask me for a stake every once in a while and is happy I don’t
ask her to pay it back, but if you ask her, she always wins.

The other local relative plays video poker in a progressive manner, betting
first maybe one quarter and then maybe three and then two. Even hitting a
royal with one quarter did not change her style. But at least she does not say
she always wins. What she says is that using matchplays and freemoney is
not “gambling.” I want to say, “not ‘donating,’ you mean” but I get tired of the
volatility.

I work out my frustration with the dysfunctional and perpetually stupid by trying
to find those kind of gamblers at a live Hold em poker table. After a few years,
and hours and hours on the internet, my game has improved enough so I can
at least not lose, even if I don’t yet know all the tricks for winning. I do know
that you have to pay attention to the rake. If you are playing with a bunch of
tight old men and the pots are small and there is some other rake for some
special jackpot gee gaw or wheel spin, then find another casino. And be
careful if you find the Luxor. There the dealer who watches you play for a
couple hours can take a break from dealing and play against you while s/he is
working.

We had two at the loose table I found.

Somehow playing against people who deal and study this game every day is
not my idea of fair competition. I got stuck at the Luxor because I liked a
promotion. Six hours of play over two days qualified me to play another three
hours in a “tournament” where in regular play any pot over $30 won a ticket
and the top ticket holders could get as much as $500 Just winning one pot
got you $60. And all the while we played the whole group was loose and
aggressive, trying to win more tickets than the others. It was a great
tournament. And I guess I would do it again, but I won’t play against those
dealers to get my time in.

Aladdin was a great new poker room. I played for ten hours and lost $3. Or I
won about $7 if you compute the fact that I tipped for free Hennesy with chips.
In 2 and a half hours I played only two hands other than my blinds. Those
were bad cards. In one of those hands I had a king high diamond flush which
might have lost to a full house if a local woman had not been betting 4 threes.
Whew! tough poker. But I did tease and joke and cajole
enough to pass the time and cheer up the group of poker faces. Then the
next night at the Luxor I sat next to the four threes woman from the Aladdin
and I got pocket threes and took the pot.

I played harder poker at the Orleans. That is a tough bunch. In addition I tried
to go up a notch there to a 4-8 game with a half kill. This means that
whenever someone wins two pots the price of poker goes up and the bets
become 6 and 12. Those kills killed me, and I lost $165.

My favorite poker games were at the Excalibur. They were little spread limit
games, one to three dollars. And people did really bet and raise a dollar.
Many of the players were new and had not played much Hold em. Perhaps
they had seen it on TV. I met lots of friendly people. The stereotypical table of
grumpy old men who look like they play poker as a way or relieving terminal
constipation is replaced at these low limit games by pleasant folks from all
over the world who are out for a good time. My last night I played seven hours
and was the only person at my table for whom English was a first language.
Across from me was this long haired knock out young girl who somehow
always seemed to have better cards than mine. I lost $6 if you don’t count the
free drink tips.
So what highlights have I missed?

Well, what I really missed was the first joint meeting of members from two
bulletin boards at the Orleans. My wife dragged me out for a massage at the
Palms right at that time. I have to keep her happy or she won’t go with me.
And no other woman will go with me either so......I went for the massage.
I just got a foot massage. I am not much for massages. Still it was a fine
experience. Some young sweet thing caressed my neck and head until I was
relaxed. Well, most of me relaxed anyway. And then she did my feet. The
only thing I did not like was when she started to tell me my circulation was bad
and I ought to get more massages. I go to Vegas in between doctor
appointments. At every doctor visit they tell me another part of my body is
bad. I don’t need another of those worries mixing up my fantasies during a
foot massage.

But it was fine.


Afterward, I hung out in the outside jacuzzi with my wife’s brother and told
poker stories.

My wife got a later massage at the Orleans and she said it was the best
massage she had experienced in her life. Maybe I should have skipped the
Palms.


Well, my wife, who does not like gambling, took me to Mystere and La
Femme. Luckily i remembered my binoculars for la Femme. I need them to
see the faces clearly.

I loved both shows. That baby character in Mystere is a stitch! I thought
including the audience in the humor was well done. La Femme reminded me
of being young and watching those Laugh In Go Go dancers dance in the
patterns of lights. It was cool to see the roots of that tradition of body and light.

Too bad a massage does not come with a La Femme ticket. Then I wouldn’t
need binoculars.

Ain’t art grand!


I had the binoculars because my wife had also taken me birding for the winter
Audubon bird count on the edge of Death Valley. We did not see too many
birds. Perhaps “winter” might have been a clue or perhaps “Death Valley.”
But we did have fun getting up to the alarm at 4:30 AM and driving in the dark
past shadows of road construction and then on unpaved gravel roads out into
the middle of no where to walk in the desert. And actually we did see 100
migrating American Coots and the home of the almost extinct pupfish. My
buddy writes that I could have stayed home and seen a migrating American
old coot just by looking in the mirror.

I also saw two comedy acts. The act at Palace Station was fine, but i was glad
i did not pay money. They gave us free tickets the night before at the
Promotions Booth just for asking. The Vinnie Favorito downtown at Binion’s
was good. My kid and I sat right in front and he was great. He went after
members of the audience and joked off the cuff. Very talented. I had a
coupon from LVA that made the price $10.


Another of my five sons showed up the last few days and we played craps
together at the Sahara where he actually managed to use two LVA coupons
that get $50 chips for $40 cash. He had a small bankroll, so he played the
blue promotional chips on the pass line and I took some odds with my real
money. We had some fun. He rolled me into a profit and we left.

My wife and that son and I celebrated with a fine meal up in the Voo Doo
Cafe. It was not cheap, but the food was exquisite. We ate a special of
mackerel. We cook it at home all the time, but never have I had it taste as
good as that. We all shared a Witch Doctor table drink with the three straws
and then a chocolate desert where for $7 they covered a plate with three
chocolate orgasmic tastes. Eating fine food and looking out over the lights of
Vegas and the strip was very sensual.

Of course, the prices were better at Ellis Island. Twice we went and enjoyed
that great steak on a 2-1 coupon and then got a $5 matchplay besides. What
an incredible deal! They dealt dollar BJ too in the afternoon and I played a 9/
6 VP game there and won a little money.

They comp players with their microbrewed beer. Yummy! I asked about the
different kinds and the waitress brought me a generous taste of each one.

We ate there Christmas eve and had the nicest young Spanish speaking
waiter who was anxious to get off work and go see the fireworks. They kept
him working longer than he expected. Perhaps it was our dinner that held
him up. So I gave him a ten dollar tip. He must have thought I was strange
because I first wanted to use two coupons and split one in half and I wanted
my matchplays and then I gave away ten dollars.

But I am weird. I generally tip the housekeepers $2 each day I am in any
hotel. They are hard working and certainly deserve and can use that little
money. I usually bring the dimes that build up in my change and use those.
This year I found out that the Orleans has one coin sorter that will sort any
change you want. Even pennies. I brought $13 worth of unrolled pennies to
use at the Gold Spike, but instead I just took them down and exchanged them
for paper.

The last day I grabbed my cashback at the Orleans and the 4 Queens. My
wife picked up some more jewelry at the downtown Indian Store that has run
a half price sale now for at least five years. I bought a few cheap $2 Vegas
shirts and took my coupon to Spinettis chip warehouse to pick up a free
Dealer button for my home games. (They had some fine prices on chips by
the way - http://www.spinettis.com) We caught the direct flight home to Albany,
New York. On the way my wife started reading the Lee Jones book, got out a
deck of cards and had me help her read the board for the nut hand. Hey,
there is hope for her yet.

In all my days in Vegas this December I was never down. With that nice heart
Royal padding my subsequent poor gambling, I did manage to squeak home
with a profit of $312 which I could double if I counted the pints of Beemish.
But I never count my comps in my gambling score.


My next trip will be in August with my Silver Strike collecting buddy in Florida.
He’ll do the SS convention and wheel and deal the week away. I’ll share his
free rooms, bring the 2-1 food coupons and play poker. No wives that trip.
Maybe I’ll see you there

**********************************************************************

Buses in Vegas overview boilerplate

I am not an expert. I do like promoting the bus because I think once most folks give themselves permission to use a city bus, it pleases them and because I like to talk about all things frugal.

However, I think I can answer your question with, with the caveat that all things bus like change periodically, and this year things are going through great changes again as they did in November of last year.

There are just two categories of bus routes One of those categories include the strip buses, the Deuce and the Strip to Downtown express (SDX). These buses are the ones that you want to use to get you from downtown to the strip and back. The decision will be where on the strip you want to go. The Express has fewer stops but is much faster and less crowded than the Deuce. You want to ride it whenever you can as long as it will drop you where you want to go. It also runs just during certain hours of the day, 9 am to 12:30 am (see the schedule page for details. It was designed to end the congestion on the Deuce so it runs during heavy traffic times and not in the early morning.

Here are all the bus routes.
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/route/


Check the routes of the SDX and Deuce and see where they go. The Deuce you can pick up downtown just around the corner of the Fremont Experience. The SDX picks up at a stop near Binions. Those places should be well marked and you can ask people to be certain you are in the right place. The places have changed at times. Note where the SDX stops are located on the strip and write it down or copy the map to have in your pocket.

Neither of these are luggage friendly. Small bags, stuff that fits on your lap is always okay. Larger bags are up to the driver. More seems being allowed on the SDX than on the Deuce.

The SDX is a very different kind of bus. You don't meet the driver. You buy a ticket in a vending machine and get on board and at random these ticket checkers board and come through checking tickets like on many trains. You can even board from the back, but you have to already have your ticket. This speeds up boarding.

My guess is that strip buses are most of what you will travel for your first time; however, from downtown, once you get to the Bonneville Transfer Center (BTC) you have plenty of options. And if you want to go off the strip once to get there, the bus running down Flamingo 202 and the one running down Tropicana 201 are great resources, especially when used in conjunction with the free shuttles that Harrah's runs and the shuttles that the Boyd Casinos run between Bill's, Gold Coast, and the Orleans. Because their free shuttles do not run 24 hours, the buses give you cheap flexibility. These routes are called "residential" routes because most of the riders are locals.
The WAX that runs from the airport is counterintuitively classified as a "residential" route. So that makes the fare less expensive.

So here is the dilemma. If you first board a "residential" bus, then you get "residential" rates, including on the 24 hour pass. Technically, the bus folks claim that only folks with a local ID get to ride every bus after they buy a "residential" pass.
If you board the Deuce or SDX, then you get a little higher rate and an all-access pass that lets you ride anything.
Now, actually I have not read of a single person who has been asked for a local ID when using a "residential" pass of any sort to board Deuce of SDX and the bus company once told me on the phone what the WAX bus driver told me and that is that "residential" passes will allow even tourists to use the more expensive buses but the bus company wants to keep that a secret, so they don’t advertise it.
"It is a glitch in the system" the RTC person said on the phone.
Up until recently it was impossible to buy a 5 day pass without going out to the Bonneville Transit Center. The 5 day is not in vending machines.
Well planned bus riders like Jimbo338 would stop at the BTC on the way from the airport as the SDX has a stop across the street from the BTC, buy a 5 day or maybe two, and be set for the entire trip at a frugal price.
Now those 5 day passes can be bought at Walgreen’s right there in Downtown, but only the 5 day (as well as 30 day passes that are just too long for most tourists.)
Now they have decided, I guess, that the 5 day is now an all-access pass, officially. Jimbo will tell you that it has been all access in practice and that the 24 hour pass from the WAX driver also works on all buses in practice.
But remember, that is a secret.
Or the bus folks are confused.
One board member here asked the question of using "residential passes" on strip buses three times to three different drivers and got three different answers.

So, here is what I would do if I were you.

I’d buy a one way ticket on the WAX from the driver that will get you and your luggage downtown because you just need to take one ride to do that. There is some issue on whether older routes (108/09)are at sometimes faster because at times the WAX runs just every hour, but I’d stick with the WAX because the math I do suggests that even if you wait the full hour you probably will beat the 108 or 109 because with luggage you will then want to take another bus from the BTC to get to Fremont.
Some folks here actually walk the five blocks to Fremont from the BTC. I don’t. The neighborhood seems sketchy at times, and I feel vulnerable with a large suitcase held by an old weak guy.

All the buses from the airport are residential and since it is debated whether that pass would be honored on the Deuce/SDX, it is technically correct and safest to just go one way from the airport, get downtown, the then buy all access passes, either a 5 day from the Walgreen’s or a 3 day from the vending machine or a 24 hour from the vending machine.
However, Jimbo's strategy is to get to the BTC on his way into Vegas as cheaply as possible because he knows he can buy any pass there as well, board a bus to downtown, and get any information or new schedules so his information is current. That makes good sense as well. Then you don't have to decide between Walgreen's and vending machines at the bus stop.

On the other hand, to then get to your hotel you are going to have to activate and use a pass you bought. I won't leave downtown until a couple of days after I arrive, so Walgreen's works great for me. I don't want a 5 day pass that I won't use for the first three days.

Here are the prices. They might change but generally we get plenty of warning. They will change on September 11, but perhaps not for youngsters.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare_passes.cfm

Note that the 5 day pass has confusing-little-star notes in the fine print part that contradict what the RCT told me on Facebook. But that is part of the game here, just like figuring promos in the casino. They come, They go, They change the rules. Folks slip in and out. Also the website is always behind the times. I think the Facebook information is current correct. I know Walgreen's sells them because I called them and asked directly.

What the RTC decided in the midst of all this wonderful bus renovation is that they wanted to create two classes of fares, one for the locals and one for the tourists, so they could milk that tourist dollar a bit more, while giving a perk to the local riders, but they cannot figure a way to effectively and efficiently do that other than to charge one set of prices if we first board a "residential" but another if we first board the Deuce or SDX and then to make two classes of riders by letting the local ID sort us out, maybe, if anyone checks.

The move on 9-11 is to make tourist seniors second class seniors by no longer offering reduced prices on Deuce and SDX except for folks who boarded residential buses and have a local ID. If they take out the reduced fare options from the vending machines on the strip, then tourist seniors must pay full fare.
It is a nasty business.
I know residential bus riders are the working poor of Vegas, but tourist dollars drive the economy of Vegas, and we all have contributed to the fund of stimulus dollars that has allowed Vegas to revamp their bus system during the worst recession of modern times. Also, simple is always better.

All fares used to be the same for everyone. They should keep it that way for the fare to be fair.

Sorry. None of that needs to affect your trip as long as you go while the 5 day passes are still at the downtown Walgreen's.

Okay, let me recap and then you ask about places where I have confused you.
My suggested strategy is you buy a one way WAX ticket to downtown from ground Zero at the airport.
Once downtown you go into that Fremont Street Walgreen’s and buy a 5 day pass and you are good to go anywhere, anytime on any bus. You won’t find that ticket is available along the strip. Other Walgreen's and Albertson's have them, but they are in local neighborhoods for the convenience of locals, not where tourists walk.
If Walgreen’s decides they don’t want to sell the passes on the Fremont Experience, then you want to stop at the BTC on your way in to town and buy one or make do with vending machine options.

And I suggest that when you are on the strip you take at least one ride on the 202 or 201. Maybe you go to Terribles, stop there and walk down to the HardRock which most visitors think is inaccessible except by car or cab.

Get a feel for the Flamingo bus. It has changed how I see Vegas.
Basically, Flamingo is my "strip."
202 makes Flamingo, from Gold Coast to Eastside Cannery accessible at all hours of the day and night. Just the leg from the Gold Coast up to Ellis Island is a treat as it ties together inexpensive casinos with good food and good gambling. It is uncrowded and runs about 20 minutes until early AM when it runs every hour.

If none of that is appealing you might like a ride out the 201 to get to the well loved Pinball Hall of Fame where you can play the old pinball machines of my youth.

http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

These residential routes are free of the crowds of tourists and out of the strip traffic. Most Vegas visitors don't know anything about them. Some regular tourists find that being among the common folks grates against their upscale Vegas experience or they are in too much of a hurry for buses and they lean more to limo or cab or rental than city bus.

So these buses are underused resources.

However, there is a growing movement toward using the buses as they get better and better and other options get more expensive.
Take at look at this note in a recent trip report by The Bucket:

Quote:

It was time to return to Rio and collect my traveling companion and my car. I eschewed the free shuttle service, put off by the exorbiant wait I experienced to board it at Rio. Instead, I marched out to the strip, crossed the street, strolled past Caesars wishing that I had the time for a shoe of big baccarat within, took a right and leaned up against a post at the 202 stop that comes right before the Qua entrance. It took a few minutes, and I was joined by a few tourists and a number of hotel workers as I waited on the bus. Pretty soon, one pulled up, and I stepped on board and swiped my card. As usual, I didn't bother to sit down, but stood near the front in the area intended to hold wheelchair-using patrons, and held onto an overhead rail. As we pulled away from the stop, I struck up a short yet interesting conversation with the bus driver. He was impressed that I was a tourist using a standard city bus, and we traded stories of gambling for the few minutes that the bus ride lasted (he is a poker player, and spends his days driving a bus and his evenings taking advantage of drunk tourists on the strip who have seen far too much poker on television and have far too much cash available at the table). The bus soon arrived at Rio, where I hit the button, waited on the door, and stepped off, quickly asking my driver where he intended to play that night. Bally's, he informed me. Good to know. One placed I shouldn't play 1/2 NL that night (which was no loss, as I planned my poker play at the IP).

I also suggest that you print out a copy of the schedule for the 201 and 202, so you don’t show up at the bus stop with much waiting time.
In the daytime in the hot summer, waiting for a bus can be uncomfortable. At night it is just annoying. Planning can preclude that discomfort. If you are planned, you spend a bit more time at the table and then walk out for soon to come bus.

full trip report located here: http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/for...ad.php?t=65540

During the same week I read a post here insisting that folks who rented at the Gold Coast were stuck in the early hours of the morning because the shuttle did not run then.
I thought of it as ironic since I like the Gold Coast because with all the free shuttles and buses available it more easily supports late night gambling on the strip than many casinos on the strip like those on the North end.
Once we give ourselves permission to ride the bus, we increase our freedom to safely get around Vegas even when we are tired and drunk, at a reasonable price.

Finally, when you get back you owe us a bus report. Tell us how it went. You have a perspective that I don't have. You are new to buses. Help other newbies decide if they want to risk being awash amid the masses of an egalitarian democracy or enjoy an elite if rather pricey upscale transportation experience, if they want to be frugal or extravagant. It is not an easy decision.
This particular part of this board is the place to put that info, or if you write a trip report, give us a heads up here here with a link to your TR.

And win some money so next trip you can just hire a car, some foo foo chauffeur and say "James" a lot.

bus blierplate as of june 2011

I am not an expert. I do like promoting the bus because I think once most folks give themselves permission to use a city bus, it pleases them and because I like to talk about all things frugal.

However, I think I can answer your question with, with the caveat that all things bus like change periodically, and this year things are going through great changes again as they did in November of last year.

There are just two categories of bus routes One of those categories include the strip buses, the Deuce and the Strip to Downtown express (SDX). These buses are the ones that you want to use to get you from downtown to the strip and back. The decision will be where on the strip you want to go. The Express has fewer stops but is much faster and less crowded than the Deuce. You want to ride it whenever you can as long as it will drop you where you want to go. It also runs just during certain hours of the day, 9 am to 12:30 am (see the schedule page for details. It was designed to end the congestion on the Deuce so it runs during heavy traffic times and not in the early morning.

Here are all the bus routes.
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/route/


Check the routes of the SDX and Deuce and see where they go. The Deuce you can pick up downtown just around the corner of the Fremont Experience. The SDX picks up at a stop near Binions. Those places should be well marked and you can ask people to be certain you are in the right place. The places have changed at times. Note where the SDX stops are located on the strip and write it down or copy the map to have in your pocket.

Neither of these are luggage friendly. Small bags, stuff that fits on your lap is always okay. Larger bags are up to the driver. More seems being allowed on the SDX than on the Deuce.

The SDX is a very different kind of bus. You don't meet the driver. You buy a ticket in a vending machine and get on board and at random these ticket checkers board and come through checking tickets like on many trains. You can even board from the back, but you have to already have your ticket. This speeds up boarding.

My guess is that strip buses are most of what you will travel for your first time; however, from downtown, once you get to the Bonneville Transfer Center (BTC) you have plenty of options. And if you want to go off strip, the bus running down Flamingo 202 and the one running downTropicana 201 are great resources, especially when used in conjunction with the free shuttles that Harrah's runs and the shuttles that the Boyd Casinos run between Bill's, Gold Coast, and the Orleans. Because their free shuttles do not run 24 hours, the buses give you cheap flexibility. These routes are called residential routes because most of the riders are locals.
The WAX that runs from the airport is counterintuitively classified as a residential route.

So here is the dilemma. If you first board a residential bus, than you get residential rates, including on the 24 hour pass. Technically, the bus folks claim that only folks with a local ID get to ride every bus after they buy a residential pass.
If you board the Deuce or SDX, then you get a little higher rate and an all access pass that lets everyone ride anything. Now, actually I have not read of a single person who has been asked for a local ID when using a residential pass of any sort to board Deuce of SDX and the bus company once told me on the phone what the WAX bus driver told me and that is that residential passes will allow even tourists to use the more expensive buses but they want to keep that a secret so they don’t advertise it.
Up until recently it was impossible to buy a 5 day pass without going out to the Bonneville Transit Center. Teh 5 day is not in machines.
Well planned bus riders like Jimbo338 would stop there on the way from the airport as the SDX has a stop across from the center, buy a 5 day or maybe two, and be set for the trip. Now those 5 day passes can be bought at Walgreen’s right there in Downtown, but only the 5 day (and 30 day passes that are just too much for most tourists.)
Now they have decided, I guess, that the 5 day is now an all access pass, officially. Jimbo will tell you that it has been all access in practice and that the 24 hour pass from the WAX driver also works on all buses in practice.
But remember, that is a secret. Or the bus folks are confused. One board member here asked the question three times to three different drivers and go three different answers.
So, here is what I would do if I were you.
I’d buy a one way ticket on the WAX from the driver that will get you and your luggage downtown because you just need to take one ride to do that. There is some issue on whether older routes (108/09)are at sometimes faster because at times the WAX runs just every hour, but I’d stick with the WAX because the math I do suggests that even if you wait the full hour you probably will beat the 108 or 109 if you then take another bus from the BTC to get to Fremont.
Some actually walk the five blocks to Fremont from the BTC. I don’t. The neighborhood seems sketchy at times and I’m vulnerable with a large suitcase held by an old weak guy.

All the buses from the airport are residential and since it is debated whether that pass would be good enough for the Deuce/SDX, it is technically correct and safest to just go one way from the airport, get downtown, the then buy all access passes, either a 5 day from the Walgreen’s or a 3 day from the vending machine or a 24 hour from the vending machine.
However, Jimbo's strategy is to get to the BTC on his way into Vegas as cheaply as possible because he knows he can buy any pass there as well, board a bus to downtown, and get any information or new schedules so his information is current. That makes good sense as well. Then you don't have to decide between Walgreen's and vending machines at the bus stop.

On the other hand, to then get to your hotel you are going to have to use a pass you bought. I won't leave downtown until a couple of days after I arrive, so Walgreen's works great for me. I don't want a 5 day pass that I won't use for the first three days.

Here are the prices. They might change but generally we get plenty of warning. They will change on September 11, but perhaps not for youngsters.

http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare_passes.cfm

Note that the 5 day pass has confusing-star-little notes in the fine print part that contradict what the RCT told me on Facebook. But that is part of the game here, just like figuring promos in the casino. They come, They go, They change the rules. Folks slip in and out. I think the Facebook information is correct. I know Walgreen's sells them because I called them and asked directly.

What the RTC decided with all this wonderful bus renovation is that they wanted to create two classes of fares, one for the locals and one for the tourists, so they could milk that tourist dollar a bit more while giving a perk to the local riders, but they cannot figure a way to effectively do that other than to charge one set of prices when we board residential and another when we board Deuce and SDX.

The move on 9-11 is to make tourist seniors second class seniors by not offering reduced prices on Deuce and SDX except for folks who boarded residential buses and have a local ID. If they take out the reduced fare options from the vending machines on the strip, then tourist seniors must pay full fare. It is a nasty business. I know residential bus riders are the working poor of Vegas, but tourist dollar drive the economy of Vegas, and we all have contributed to the fund of simulus dollars that has allowed Vegas to revamp their bus system during the worst recession of modern times.

All fares used to be the same for everyone. They should keep it that way for the fare to be fair.

Sorry. None of that affects you.

Okay, let me recap and then you ask about places where I have confused you.
My suggested strategy is you buy a one way WAX ticket to downtown from ground Zero at the airport.
Once downtown you go into that Fremont Street Walgreen’s and buy a 5 day pass and you are good to go anywhere, anytime on any bus. You won’t find that ticket is available along the strip. Other Walgreen's and Albertson's have them, but they are in local neighborhoods for the convenience of locals, not where tourists walk.
If Walgreen’s decides they don’t want to sell the passes on the Fremont Experience, then you want to stop at the BTC on your way in to town and buy one or make do with vending machine options.

And I suggest that when you are on the strip you take at least one ride on the 202 or 201. Maybe you go to Terribles, stop there and walk down to the HardRock which most visitors think is inaccessible except by car or cab.

Get a feel for the Flamingo bus. It has changed how I see Vegas.
Basically, Flamingo is my "strip."
202 makes Flamingo, from Gold Coast to Eastside Cannery accessible at all hours of the day and night. Just the leg from the Gold Coast up to Ellis Island is a treat as it ties together inexpensive casinos with good food and good gambling. It is uncrowded and runs about 20 minutes until early AM when it runs every hour.

If none of that is appealing you might like a ride out the 201 to get to the well loved Pinball Hall of Fame where you can play the old pinball machines of my youth.

http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

These residential routes are free of the crowds of tourists and out of the strip traffic. Most Vegas visitors don't know anything about them. Some regular tourists find that being among the common folks grates against their upscale Vegas experience or they are in too much of a hurry for buses and they lean more to limo or cab or rental than city bus.

So these buses are underused resources.

I also suggest that you print out a copy of the schedule for the 201 and 202, so you don’t show up at the bus stop with much waiting time.
In the daytime in the hot summer, waiting for a bus can be uncomfortable. At night it is just annoying. Planning can preclude that discomfort. If you are planned, you spend a bit more time at the table and then walk out for soon to come bus.

Finally, when you get back you owe us a bus report. How did it go. You have a perspective that I don't have. You are new to buses. Help other newbies decide if they want to risk being awash in the people of an egalitarian democracy or enjoy elite status, if they want to be frugal or extravagant. It is not an easy decision. This particular part of this board is the place to put that info, or if you write a trip report, give us a heads up here.

And win some money so next trip you can just hire a car, some foo foo chauffeur and say "James" a lot

Gold Coast boilerplate

Gold Coast is only bad location if you ignore the easy, uncrowded and cheap city Flamingo bus 202 that picks up about every 20 minutes across the street by the Palms and will deliver you to the strip, Ellis Island, Tuscany, Terribles, Sam's Town, Eastside Cannery.
Put that together with what a short walk to the Rio gets you in free shuttle to Harrah's, or what a free shuttle to the Orleans and then a 201 bus ride gets you to NYNY and you have pretty much the entire center of the strip covered at least for main hour (before midnight) access without crowds and at less expense than strip bus service.
The Palms has a shuttle to the Fashion Show Mall as well. I have not taken it, but it adds to the flexibility of location.
Early in the morning because the intervals are more like an hour, all you have to do is pay attention to the schedule you print and stick in your pocket, so you don't wait too long there at Caesar's to hop the 202 back.
Or if carrying a bus schedule is too complex a job in trip preparation, generally one cab ride back from the strip in you missed the last shuttle (12:30 last I was there) from Bill's will not add more to the cost of a stay at the Gold Coast compared to any strip hotel except maybe IP.

Generally, a B connected card will let you book a room for under $30. There is a resort fee of $3, but I have yet to actually have it charged to me when I book B Connected. Comped rooms are not charged.

By September this 202 will connect with the new express that goes along Boulder and gives us fast access to everything from Joker's Wild to Boulder Station and Arizona charlies and to downtown.

I pick the Gold Coast for cheap access to anywhere. So do others here. Catch the Bucket's last entry in his trip report. Page 11
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/for...=65540&page=11


As well as casinos, all along Flamingo are interesting restaurants, places to get your haircut on the cheap, a library offering free wifi, the entire Nevada University campus to explore as well as interesting college ast food places to grab a quick bite.

And the access, unlike any strip bus travel, can be access with luggage. So I can grab a few nights at the Gold Coast before heading out to Eastside Cannery with my 85 pound suitcase and there is no issue on the bus. Or I can go from the Gold Coast to Paradise and there to the airport all on the bus.

The free shuttle over to the Orleans will get me free wifi in the coffee spot there in the lobby.

At the Gold Coast is a small and comfortable pool and simple jacuzzi. It is a heated pool much of the year so in April or November I can usually swim. I did hear that this year they are not sure about it being heated in November, another pullback that frustrates my planning.
However, when the Flamingo pool is down to just one open and that 2 feet of water could be used to get the beer cold, the Gold Coast offers heated water deep enough to actually swim around and uncrowded.
And next to it is a workout room that is also uncrowded and overlooks the pool. And there is fine cold water.

Along side are shaded sitting areas where reading and chilling are very comfortable. No extra fee for shade at this pool.

The buffet is one of the best low priced meals in Vegas with RedEye gravy for biscuits and pretty good choices. Once a year with an American Casino Guide coupon the buffet can be had for free after earning 200 points at 9/6 JOB.

I like to hear the music in the lounge in the afternoon. They dropped my favorite classic jazz band, but they still offer interesting choices and a place to dance if my wife is along. That is my cheapest lunch place because they have no issues with carrying in a drink and a couple $1.25 hotdogs from the sportsbook area. I'd go play 9/6 JOB, get my free beer, grab a hotdog iwth sauerkraut, go for a set of music, go back for the second beer on the long break between sets, play fifteen minutes more JOB, and repeat the pattern as long as I wanted. It stretches out my bankroll and gives me plenty of entertaining breaks.

So, for me this drop in VP is a bad thing. That bar served Sam Adams on tap with a friendly waiter. The last report I read, the poster asked the bartender if he could get Sam Adams free while he played,
"Only one at a time" the bartender quipped with a chuckle.

Now, not even one I guess.

Player card advice boilerplate

Quote:

I'd sign up wherever you play and use your card.

As a generalization this is good advice, but don't take it to an extreme. Here is why you should not just sign up at every place you pass or play a few dollars.
Sign up only where your play is concentrated. Some freeplay offers will come sometimes just because you are a newbie, so save some of the places to gamble on a later Vegas visit, and appear as a newbie to them at that later time.
How many free nights can you use for your next trip?
$100 a day pushed hard at only one place with get you offers. Pick a place or two and concentrate your play there. Don't then go there another day and just play a few dollars. That will decrease your daily average. You want to look to the casino like you would play and lose $100 each day. Even one day at some places will get you offers.
One technique is to take two days bankroll and gamble it in one day. Skip the first day, go to Red Rock or do shows or take a long sight seeing walk. Then the second day push your $200. Now you look like a higher roller. When you get your card ask what is a "day" in their records. Some casinos have days that start after midnight, others have days that start after 2 am. This is important. If a new day starts after midnight, cash out before that time so that your daily amount put at risk is the amount you gambled the first day, say $1000, not what you gambled for two days, say $1000 and $60 divided by 2 and so $530. For that extra half hour into the second day, in this example the gambler looks like half as hard a player.

If you really want to get offers, get off the strip and play at some of the smaller places: Try Orleans, Gold Coast. They are more likely to come back with some offers for free rooms. The gambling is generally better too.
Even if they don't, just holding a card and signing in to the Boyd website will get you some under $30 a night prices for weekday rooms most of the time, and it may well get you a couple free nights offered right on that website.

Or try downtown. Places like El Cortez, 4 Queens will come back at you with some 2 night offers for your next trip. Even Main Street Station might.
Again, pick one or two and save the rest for next time.
In your whole life you will only be a newbie once at each place or each system. Play at the Gold Coast for example and you are in a card system that includes the Orleans and Main street Stations and Sam's Town. That is not a bad thing, but know which casinos are attached to which card systems.
If you get a card everywhere and play a little everywhere, then you might get so many two night newbie freebies that you can't use them all, or more likely you will not look like much of a gambler and not get anything much. You will have lost your newbieness for no gain at all.

Seed a couple casinos where you might like to stay with concentrated play.

the other thing is that as they give you free nights over a few stays and you keep gambling just a little or your $100 one time goes down the drain too quickly for you to run much money through the machine, then the same casino that gave you as a newbie a freebie two night stay will stop sending them.
So, let's say you got a free night offer at the Orleans after your first visit. Then you went and used that but did not gamble much money there. But on the second visit you seeded yourself as a newbie with the El Cortez and there your daily bankroll held up a long, long time. Now the Orleans cuts you off, but the El Cortez has an interest in this newbie gambler, so they send you two nights or some promo deal.

Consider too how much you might go to Vegas. I made the huge mistake of signing up everywhere about ten years before retirement. I did not have the job flexibility to go when the free offers came. Then I retired and had the flexibility, but I could not present myself as a newbie. Having been too promiscuous on my first trip, my gambling virginities had been sold for nothing.

Finally, there are periodically sign up offers for newbies. Sometimes they are absolutely amazing. One of the best is that the casino offers to let you gamble $100 and lose it, and will then give it back to you in freeplay. However, most of these are just for newbies. So if you waste your newbie status for no sign-up bonus, then on some future trip, when you could sell it for $100, well......... you are used goods

Well Gordon, it was fine to get your Christmas card and finally I am beginning to answer some, starting with yours. We did not send Christmas cards. As my Gambling Birthday Bash Trip Report will explain, we were pretty busy.

You always fill your envelopes with stamps. Well if this works, I will be filling this letter with pictures of stamps. Not the same, to be sure, but in the spirit anyway.




While I was away I gave my computer new spirit. And so it works better and faster and for a while perhaps I can play with it. None of them really last very long, but then I won't either. Ah, I'm beginning to sound a bit like those characters in Dickens.





There, that should be a bit better. At least I have a great gambler in the mix. Dostoyevsky wrote most of what he wrote to pay his roulette debts. Sad, really.

Baudelaine was a favorite of this French girl I met in Madrid back in our days. I was quie taken by her. We went to the art gallery and she showed me those lighter pictures of Goya with laughing young people throwing friends up in a blanket. She liked Baudelaine (The spelling is off on that; I hope I have the right poet) and so, of course, for a while I liked him too. And we wrote some letters for a while and then it just dwindled away.




I did not need a girl to help me find pleasure in these two Americans who wrote popular fiction. Nor do girls get much positive development from either of them. I've always liked girls, however. Always. One big regret is not having enough of them in my youth. In old age it is not very easy to have them.

So how have you been? I hope the new year finds you happy and perhaps with some new activity to replace the work that dried up at the end of the old year or perhaps by now they have reopened again.
We are all well and having a good time. There are little things like arthritis and such but no life threatening illnesses and at this age that is a treat. The funerals of friends have started. For a while it was just the old parents of friends, but now they are in line and dropping too. So anything that does not hasten my dropping is good.

We have had no winter here yet. It was cold yesterday and the lake froze only to thaw again today. It is incredible and wonderful. I guess we will benefit some from global warming. It will insure that my old dock which I just supported as best I could and recovered will make it into another year. Thick ice is the devil on a doc especially if the thaw comes quickly. Years ago here we lost the dock almost every year. One March the boys and I were out in rough windy waves with ropes hauling it back to shore and securing it again.

And speaking of the devil:



I am not very busy just now but have no money to travel. We have another wedding coming this year so I have to save up. I will get to Vegas again, of course, perhaps around the end of June because I can combine it with a trip west to a nephew's bar mitzvah and stretch at least most of the air espense into two trips. I'll try to go again in December. I love it then. A good time to use up the coupons.

We will get down to N Carolina to see E's step father and to the wedding outside Chicago, but not much else this year. I am hungry to go to Costa Rica again but can't manage that just yet. Besides I need more time brushing up on Spanish. I've let it slide. I do try to read a bit on Blogs now and again, but it is not the same as actual study.




In the meantime my books should keep me happy enough. I am selling some on Halfbay too and may expand that. We have so many and the kids don't seem that interested. right now I am selling some of Elizabeth's stuff that she wanted to get out of the way when she moved her office into the house.

That has worked very well, saving her money and moving her toward a semi-retirement. And it has not been any trouble for me, so it has all worked well.

Well, I don't know what else to tell you. And besides I am out of stamps. I hope to see you one of these days. If Montreal would start dealing live poker, I'd be up there often. And that may happen. It is becoming very popular here.

Well, time to ride off with one of my favorite Latin American poets: