Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

Walt TR - Part 3 of 4
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HOTEL

For my last 3 nights in Vegas, I had booked an ElCo pavilion room (a
motel-style room atop the parking garage) through a Travelworm deal
that gave me Tuesday free with two paid nights ($84.96 total). Upon
check-in, the desk clerk offered me a free upgrade to a Vintage Suite,
which is higher-priced like the Tower rooms. I had never stayed in one
of these suites, so I agreed.

The Vintage rooms are located above the casino and are accessible only
via stairs. I didn't mind the stairs, although I did mind a bit the
distant sounds of gamblers and the faint odor of smoke which found its
way to my room. I noticed a one-inch gap under the door to the outside
hallway. One night I filled the gap with a towel and that seemed to
reduce the odor. My suite # 2271 was located one floor up from the
casino; perhaps the 3rd-floor suites are not affected as much by the
smoke or the noise. I must say it was pretty cool to be able to walk a
few steps from my room and down a flight of steps into a large space
full of table games, slots and lively gamblers. It's like having a
casino in your basement.

The room itself was fine. In the entryway there's a desk and a closet.
Opposite the bathroom door is another closet with a small safe near the
floor. If they ever decide to reconfigure these rooms, the bathroom
could be made considerably larger without compromising space in the
rest of the room.

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/vintage2271a.jpg

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/vintage2271b.jpg

BUFFETS

* A Thursday lunch buffet at AZ Charlie's - Decatur was under $4 plus
tip using an ACG coupon. Once again, despite the limited selection
compared to other buffets, I always seem to find enough to eat here.
This time it was vegetable egg rolls, pizza, some bowtie pasta with
meat sauce, some beef teriyaki, a few carrots, and more than my share
of corn bread. For dessert there are a few pies and sheet cakes, but I
go for the hand-dipped ice cream in surprisingly exotic varieties.
Last time I enjoyed the cantaloupe flavor; this time it was mango and
tiramisu.

* A Sunday dinner buffet at the Gold Coast was just okay, nothing to
rave about. I did get an extra dollar off with a players card, in
addition to half-off with an ACG coupon.

* Other buffets: I didn't take notes for these, so I can just offer
brief impressions from memory. Lunch at Palace Station's buffet was
barely adequate. Lunch at the Rampart buffet was better and in the
average range overall. I also tried the buffet at Red Rock for the
first time; dinner there was okay, though I still prefer the buffet at
sister property Green Valley Ranch. For the above three buffets I used
half-off POV coupons from Las Vegas Advisor.

OTHER MEALS

* On Soiree Sunday, some of us joined George Leppla and his wife Becca
for dinner at Roberta's in the El Cortez. This was a wonderful
gathering of a dozen or so folks who enjoyed a nice dinner and each
other's company.

I started with a Caesar salad. Denny made sure I had the opportunity
to add anchovies by requesting a side order of the salty delicacies. I
happened to be sitting next to Skip, who claimed to dislike fish
profoundly and threatened some unspecified mayhem if I allowed the
anchovy dish to enter his territory. I was careful not to provoke him.

My entree was Mr. Porterhouse, who arrived with the requested baked
potato and was pretty good.

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/robertas.jpg

During dinner Cameron and Evil Elvis joined us. Cameron ordered a
strawberry cake dessert. EE said he had already had dinner but then
ordered a full entree anyway.

At the end of the meal, George delighted everyone by picking up the
tab. Thanks again, George!

* On the last day of my trip, Donna invited Cameron and myself to
dinner at the Pullman Grille in Main Street Station. It turned out
that the Pullman was closed that day (Tuesday), so we walked over to
the California's Redwood Grill instead. The California being another
Boyd property, Donna was able to use her MSS comps here as well.

I didn't make notes on this meal, so I remember it more for the
excellent company than for the food, although I had no complaints about
the latter. Cameron said I ordered the porterhouse so I'll go along
with that. I do recall that we were more or less thrown out of the
joint when we finished eating. A hostess quite curtly requested that
we leave so they could set up for some group dinner.

Many thanks to Donna for treating us to this fine meal. Afterward we
went up to Donna's room and spent our remaining Vegas time relaxing and
chatting. Around 10 PM Cameron and I said goodbye to Donna and
returned to our respective hotels to get some sleep and prepare for
early flights home in the morning. Actually I suspect Cameron squeezed
in a little more gambling before he retired.

* Before driving to the airport with Cameron around 4:30 AM, I had some
blueberry pancakes in the coffee shop at El Cortez. They were okay as
a freebie using the $5 coupon in the ElCo funbook, but are no
competition at all for the Blueberry Hill version (which I
unfortunately neglected to have even once on this trip).

SHOWS

* One evening I caught the free "Sin City Circus" stunt show inside
Vegas Club. Here's the poster being used to promote the show...

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/scc.jpg

It's a 25-minute show with varying acts, presumably depending on who's
available. I saw a BMX stunt biker, a guy who rolled around the stage
inside a big wheel, a guy who balanced on one or two hands, and another
guy who bounced up and down on a bungee cord. If that's not enough
excitement for you, the master of ceremonies is a transvestite who goes
through as many costume changes as Cher. Watching a guy in heavy
makeup, a feathered headdress and assless pants trying to banter with a
family of Midwestern tourists -- priceless.

In terms of skills, I'd say the hand-balancing guy was the best. But
the entire spectacle comes off as a bizarre, low-rent Cirque du
Tamares. Just the idea of it, and where its taking place, makes it
worth seeing once just to have your mind thoroughly boggled.

http :// www .youtube,com /watch?v=Ts7xV6hCPuc

* Following the Soiree Sunday dinner at Roberta's, a few of us went to
the Suncoast for a John Lennon tribute show performed by Tim Piper and
his band Working Class Hero...

http :// www .workingclasshero.us/

Piper not only sounds like Lennon, but he also bears an uncanny
resemblance to him. The show was a kind of impressionistic biography
in which Lennon looked back and commented on his life and times. And
of course it featured many songs by the Beatles and from Lennon's solo
career. I thought the show was excellent, and I remarked to Donna that
I enjoyed it as much as the first time I saw "Fab Four Mania," the
excellent Beatles impersonation show now back at Planet Hollywood.

George Leppla and his wife sat with Donna and me. The showroom is not
huge; we had the cheapest table seats ($22) toward the back and they
were fine. BR Eagle sat in a nearby booth with his wife. Denny and
EE hung out at the Suncoast bar to watch an NBA Final game.

WANDERINGS

* On the weekend of June 7th there was a custom hot-rod show on Fremont
Street...

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/hotrods.jpg

* I picked up a downtown coupon sheet from the Fremont security office
above Walgreen's. The value of the sheet has gone down since April,
when it included a couple of free tix to the "Viva Las Vegas" show at
the Plaza.

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/dtcoupons608.jpg

* Toward the end of the trip I drove north on Main Street one day to
get my dad six cartons of cheap cigarettes at the Paiute Tribal Smoke
Shop. The price of their no-name brand went up a little since April,
but you can still buy a carton for under $17.50 using a $2-off coupon
in the hotel magazine Vegas2Go.

* Look out! Cowgirls on Segways!

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/cowgirls.jpg

* Say what you will about Harrah's Entertainment, but I noticed that
Bill's has actually removed some slot machines in order to expand their
free lounge show area with additional tables and chairs. They've also
added a token poker room (two tables) just inside the Strip entrance.

And Big Elvis looks and sounds better than ever.

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/bigelvis608.jpg

http :// www .youtube,com /watch?v=pmkx9jpK6j8

* Well, here's something you don't see in Vegas every day, and wouldn't
you know it, it was in the same back section of Vegas Club where the
goofy stunt show takes place...

http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/hoppy.jpg

I think his handlers were associated with the show, although Hoppy (as
I call him) is not a performer himself as far as I know. I only got a
chance to snap a few quick pics before Hoppy and his entourage
disappeared into the North Tower elevator.

GAMBLING

Matchplay coupons:

Hilton: $10 on roulette "red" - lost $10.
Rampart: $25 on roulette "red" - lost $25.
El Cortez: $5 on blackjack - lost $5.

My brilliant roulette matchplay betting system (bet on "red") has been
letting me down recently. However, I expect to get back on the winning
track soon with a new system I've developed (bet on "black").

Sportsbook:

I watched the Belmont Stakes at the Orleans. Despite knowing nothing
about thoroughbred handicapping, I had considered betting $100 to show
on "Big Brown," figuring I'd make some easy money. But after doing
okay in my first two poker sessions at the I.P., I decided to
concentrate on poker the rest of the trip and skip the Belmont wager.
Sometimes the best bets are those you don't make.

Poker:

* A Tuesday afternoon session at the I.P. was more difficult than
earlier sessions. I was getting few good hands and the players were
less predictable as well. Once again I fluctuated between +/- $25.
Still, after 3-3/4 hours of play, I managed to eke out a modest $20
profit.

* After a snack at the Venetian, I returned to the I.P. and got into
another 2-4 Holdem game around 9:30 PM. This session was even more
difficult than the earlier one. As the drought of good cards
continued, my chip stack slowly dwindled like the water level in Lake
Mead. The competition was tougher, too, with players mixing up the
betting and frequently raising. One guy was fond of posting a "live
straddle" bet (a blind raise by the first bettor after the big blind,
before the hand is dealt). Eventually my $100 buy-in was down to about
$50, yet I was not really feeling all that discouraged. I was
confident that my style of play would work once the cards came my way.

Finally after midnight I won a couple of hands and began to rebuild my
stack. A big pot came when I was dealt J-x suited and hit 3 more jacks
on the table. Before long I erased my losses and went up about $25.
At that point the cards cooled again and I finished a 4-hour-plus
session with a hard-won $15 gain.

* After six straight winning poker sessions at the I.P., my streak
ended on the Thursday before Soiree Weekend. The card drought
continued, and when I did happen to get a good hand, the other players
wouldn't cooperate by giving me their money. In about three hours I
lost $63. At least the loss was made somewhat palatable by the player
next to me, a talkative bartender from Harrah's who reminded me of
Woody Harrelson. His nonstop patter kept the entire table entertained.

* Following a dinner break, I returned to the I.P. for one more poker
session. Alas, my bad fortune continued. I had pocket Aces cracked
twice, which was probably my own fault since I didn't bet them
aggressively pre- and post-flop. In another hand I came up short
holding a pair of Jacks and a King kicker -- the other guy had Jacks
with an Ace. After about three hours I cashed out with a $77 loss.

Later that night while I was doing some wi-fiing at Main Street
Station, some AVLVers came by. First there were the two Bills, then
Denny and Donna. They were all looking forward to a weekend of Soiree
fun.

--------------------
Tomorrow: the Soiree, the Sigma Derby Challenge, the Solar System
Series of Poker, the Fremont Street tour, more meals, more shows, more
friends...

--- Walt

Re: Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

Hey Walt, great trip report. I look forward to the rest of them.
>
>OTHER MEALS
>
>* On Soiree Sunday, some of us joined George Leppla and his wife Becca
>for dinner at Roberta's in the El Cortez. This was a wonderful
>gathering of a dozen or so folks who enjoyed a nice dinner and each
>other's company.
>
>I started with a Caesar salad. Denny made sure I had the opportunity
>to add anchovies by requesting a side order of the salty delicacies. I
>happened to be sitting next to Skip, who claimed to dislike fish
>profoundly and threatened some unspecified mayhem if I allowed the
>anchovy dish to enter his territory. I was careful not to provoke him.
>

Easy with the "F" (fish - I'm getting ill just typing it). I think
it has something to do with living on the shore of Lake Michigan as a
child, rowing out and pulling in a hundred yellow lake perch a day,
and having "F" for at least two meals a day, six or seven days a week.
In any case, I dislike fish more than Doctor Bob dislikes cheese on
his club sandwich.

>My entree was Mr. Porterhouse, who arrived with the requested baked
>potato and was pretty good.
>
> http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/robertas.jpg

I've noticed that you eat a lot but still stay thin. I look at the
menu and gain 4 pounds. Must be nice.

Skip

Re: Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

In article <aqur745auhdvv1983gno80vm734vg60lbl@4ax,com >, Skipfromla
<skipfromla@yahoo,com > wrote:
>
> Easy with the "F" (fish - I'm getting ill just typing it). I think
> it has something to do with living on the shore of Lake Michigan as a
> child, rowing out and pulling in a hundred yellow lake perch a day,
> and having "F" for at least two meals a day, six or seven days a week.
> In any case, I dislike fish more than Doctor Bob dislikes cheese on
> his club sandwich.

Thanks for explaining that here, as I had forgotten the details. The
story of "F" will no doubt figure prominently in your 3-volume
autobiography.

> >My entree was Mr. Porterhouse, who arrived with the requested baked
> >potato and was pretty good.
> >
> > http :// waltlv2.tripod,com /vegas/robertas.jpg
>
> I've noticed that you eat a lot but still stay thin. I look at the
> menu and gain 4 pounds. Must be nice.

I'm around 180 lbs. now, but I went as high as 205 about 7 years ago
before I cut out the junk food like chips, ice cream, cakes, etc. I
only eat that stuff now when I go to Vegas. Even then I don't gain
more than a couple pounds, since I don't really eat a huge amount in
total. I pretty much list every bite of food I had in two weeks in
this TR; often I'd only eat twice a day.

--- Walt

Re: Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

Nice TR Walt im learning more about Vegas each time...i should know lot
time i get to vegas in november

Re: Walt TR - Part 3 of 4

Oh, oh....did we forget to tell you rick that Vegas CLOSES in November????

Tom
On Jul 16 2008 1:01 PM, rick N wrote:

> Nice TR Walt im learning more about Vegas each time...i should know lot
> time i get to vegas in november

 
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