Meeting Shawdowman and winning

[MikeA]

Hey  VP...no, I've done none of the things you mentioned.  We try to do "one" new thing <LOL> each trip.  We "splurged" This time and took in the "Silver Nugget" up north a piece.  Actually, not a bad locals casino but it really didn't have much to offer in VP.  Lord, I can't remember much about it right now other than I did "okay" with their Blackjack.The trip South was a total BUST.  We stopped at the Gold Strike in Jean or Gene....11 miles north of Primm.  Like you say, it really is a clean casino with a lot of ornate brasswork in the chandaliers.  Reminded me a little of Main Street Station.  Funky $2 6-deck BJ with pleasant dealers and a Pit Crew that really did try to take care of the players.  Nice, but I'll not be going back.  Just not worth the trip.Primm, forget it!  We got there at around 1pm and traffic was a total nightmare.  I guess that everyone wanting to go into California tries to get there a couple of hours early and wastes their time in the three casinos there.  We fought it and made into the Buffalo Bills casino...the one with the roller coaster.   Pretty LONG in decor and interesting to look at but nothing at all there in VP and worse yet, both the double deck and single deck BJ tables pay 6:5.  And there were idiots playing it!  Yesh!  There ought to be a law preventing stupid people from playing such games!Trying to get out was a total joke!  Semi's backed up in every direction, hundreds of cars in double and triple lines trying to bust out to highway 15, and cops everywhere....all talking on their cell phones and doing nothing to straighten out the traffic snarl!  My wife had never been to California and was wanting to just drive across the border to say she had been there.  Even if we COULD have forced our way into the inside lane to make the entrance ramp, neither she nor I were ready to do it.  We eventually got back on north 15 and lit a shuck for South Point.SP is a completely different story on VP.  They do have at least one bank of multi-denomination VP that is 100%.  The locals all know where these machines are and do keep those machines full.  This was my third trip there and two out of the three times, I have had to wait on a machine.  I ran close to 1000 credits through on DDB (10/6) and it was my misfortune not to hit quads this time.  I did well though at DD-BJ and made up the loss.  But we were exhausted after the treks of the day and just wanted to get back to Fremont St and "relax".  After a bit of a early evening nap, I did get back out for some play on Fremont.  There is nothing in the way of VP nor BJ on Fremont "proper" though there are several good tables a vew blocks away at El Cortez.  Just didn't feel like making the walk down there last night so just played at 4-Whores and Fitzgerald's and a little at Binion's.  Got my butt kicked <LOL>   I'd stayed dead even for the entire trip until last night.  I dropped a C-note and decided it just wasn't my night.  The bed sure felt good.  I think today, we'll probably kill ourselves rubbernecking on the Strip.  Haven't done that in over two years.  I'll probably regret it <LOL>Mike...
 
Have you ever gone over to Lake Las Vegas to visit? I haven't and always plan to and never make it. Like you, I try to find new things to do when I go. For example, I go to the tribal smoke shop to buy my smokes (tax free and very cheap) so that is always interesting. And have you ever been to the Peppermill for brunch? It's great and they have an enclosed lounge with a fire pit so that is cool to check out for maybe an evening cocktail. It's right across from where the Stardust used to be.
 
Ed...
 
Have you driven by recently? If I recall correctly (since it was dark when we drove by last month), I believe they have completely torn down the Nevada Station (on prior visits, it was just closed).
 
Went into the Gold Strike one time years back. It's somewhat charming in a trashy way. Great people watching 4 sure!

[EDC1977]

One side note about Lake Las Vegas Vido. It's nice to visit and quite purdy with several shops/restaurants mimicking Italy hence MonteLago. The VP there is pretty good but nothing at or over 100%. Their business is hurting because of the economy and the MonteLago's owners are looking to sell the property. Shadow may have golfed there but I'm not sure. All in all, it's a nice day trip or evening during the summer when they have free jazz concerts on the lake.

[vidopoker]

Mike...
 
Thanks for sharing your story... For future reference, The Primm Valley Lotto Store is actually in California. It's about 20 feet in California (anything past the stop sign on that road is). Since Nevada has no state lottery, one might be able to figure that out but I never knew until someone told me (it's confusing b/c it has a primm,nv address). so next time you wife wants to go to California, just drive over to the lottery store and you won't have to actually drive on the 15 and go a few miles and turn around. They have more lottery terminals in that place than one would ever need!!
 
Also, thanks for the info on SP. I really wanted to go there last time but never made it. Def. on the next trip as I had heard (and you confirmed) that they have FP VP. I really wanted to go there b/c i heard they have full pay quarter tdb. I usually play VP late at night. That's when I'm luckiest and when the casinos are usually less crowded.
 
ED...
 
regading llv, will add that to my long laundry list of things to do in the future. you would think with 3-6 trips a year there for the last i don't know, 5 years, i would have done all of the things but know i always say i'm going to do, but i have not (lake las vegas, visit green valley ranch and/or south point, etc....)

[EDC1977]

I can't speak for anyone else but, I'm a Californian and a tourist first. When something new opens in LV, I like to go take a gander. I've hit most of the locals casinos but still have a few to visit. Haven't gone to Aliante or Encore to take a peek yet. "M" looks real nice and I'm sure it will meet their standards when it opens. Hard to believe anything new is opening with the economy being so jacked up right now. like yourself, I like to play during the graveyard hours. Drink service stinks but you get to play the machines that are normally occupied by shadowman during the day.

[vidopoker]

hey mr. tourist... add to your list of hotels to visit (soon) the Fontainebleau, which supposedly is scheduled to open in late fall of this year.

[MikeA]

Quick update:

We're home now and actually came back with almost exactly what we went out there with (sans non-gambling expenses). I did finally hit quad 4's with a 3 on a 9/6 DDB machine at Main Street Station. I did hit quad 9's on a 8/5 machine at Gold Strike in Jean too. I'd forgotten about that.

As I've already reported, the only PE machines I saw this trip were at South Point. The rest that I saw were all short pay. Blackjack...well, you have to look. And it depends on what kind of game you play....straight basic strategy, or advantage. You will not find an table worth advantage play on Fremont other than El Cortez and you will catch heat for any bet over a few red chips...$25 will net you a "Cheques play!" The rest of the casinos on Fremont were all cutting the double deck in half leaving half the 104 cards "out of play". I left a table at Binion's when a fresh dealer lopped almost 2/3's of the cards!

I walked about a million miles Thursday down on the Strip. Need to pick up some chips from casinos that I'd missed. I made it across the street from Caesars Palace to O'Sheas. I almost uttered words not even mentionable in public when I saw that they were paying 6:5 for Blackjacks on a SIX DECK TABLE! But they still just charge $1 for a One-Dollar Chip <LOL>

[vidopoker]

Mike "A":
 
Congrats on coming back even! that's a win!
 
i love your "cheques play" comment!!! I love when they say that. I notice at the indian casinos when the dealers calls the floor person they often say "floor," but in lv casinos, they say their name.
 
When i was at the orleans last month ,for $25 double deck they give you about 2/3 of the deck. decent rules. double any 2 cards, split up to 3 times to make 4 hands (except aces), 21 pays 3/2. hit soft 17. I remember the worst 21 rules they have were at the excalibur and slots o' fun. granted at slots it's like 3 bucks a hand but you can only double on 10 or 11!
 
anyway, glad you made it back and had a good time!

[scorpio2]

in atlantic city for a weeks free rooms,i didn't even notice weather,though peering out window i could see it was around 30 degrees,so didn't venture out.

[oej719]

Are you a meteorologist also?