Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend

[Vman96]

Note:Major events and location changes will be bolded.


Day 1: Wed. 5/9/18 A Warm Welcome from My Condemned Vegas Home!

It's that time again! With ~$100 round-trip flights w/bag, and “free” weekend nights at Mirage thanks to myVegas, my g/f M and I couldn't help ourselves from fleeing our respective mothers on their day and go back to Vegas! The trip is a bit somber for me, as my go-to bar for craft beer in Vegas, TAG Lounge is closing after Sunday May 20th. I will definitely miss the place and the 100 or so beers I have had there... Future Vegas trips likely will change dramatically for me! If you're interested into looking at more of the beers I drank, don't forget to add me to Untappd! Screenname there is Vman96 though.

This was definitely another frugal trip. A good chunk of my tip money came from here (~$54)!



Checking into nickel and dime airline Frontier, we got upgraded to an emergency row for free (normally $50 per person)! But while waiting for our plane to LAS, apparently there was going to be a delay because there was a lavatory sink on board leaking, and that's a groundable offense. Ugh. With the sink fixed, we are off 45 minutes late with this little buddy flying on the other side of us!



We're here!



Flight was fairly uneventful, but Frontier definitely took their time getting our luggage, and the longest line for the rental car bus we ever saw! Our car was $108 for the week, and thanks to @jenblase, we had free parking at CET and Cosmo as she was there the same time as us and didn't have a car. Thanks again, Jen!

With all these delays we didn't get to Mirage until about 10p. First room. Smelled a ton of cleaner, like they were trying to cover up some version of smoking. M didn't want to chance it with her allergies. So for the bazillionth time in Vegas, we switched hotel rooms. Fortunately, the second room fit our needs.









Unfortunately we were starving so we needed to eat first. Since it was so late, we decided on something easy and quick, @ken2v's favorite, McDonald's! After the meal, I thought it would be one of my few chances to get up to Palazzo because I was curious on the “progress” there. The bad news of the visit: both bars are still closed.







While looking around Palazzo, we see some huge VP machines for couples w/100 Play penny poker. M decides she wants to play for a bit. I let her play, but I sit next to her. I haven't hit Aces in 6 months, the longest of any rank. Look what M does on her money...



I just hope my next Aces are worth more than that!

Walk back toward my “second home”, which is now on the chopping block. :(

Sorry TI, maybe next time!





Make it to TAG, say hello to Kaliq, who verified the bad news. At least it sounds like the crew is staying on for the replacement venture, although none of them sounded too clear on what that was yet.

Since I was still sober at 12:30am, I decided to jump start things with Dogfish Head Burton Baton (10%; 3.5 sips). Bad rating because unfortunately, think it was well-dated. That's bad for IPAs.



And I'm on the quad board within minutes!



18 minutes later...



Quick breather for another beer...Tanaya Creek Bonanza Brown (5.6%; 3.5 sips). Was better colder.



12 minutes after that...



20 minutes later...it's like a quad?



Another beer, one of my favorites, Kook Double IPA (8.5%; 3.75 sips). Fairly malty at 3.5 months though.



Tens again!



Then the overnight bartender, Jessica, came in, who unlike the shift before, doesn't know me so well. Well, she got chatty with some other regulars, and I began to start slipping, so I slowed my play. I got a bit annoyed when she looked over and had my money out but went back to doing something else. One of the regulars she was talking to heard me muttering to myself, and said, “If you want something tell her.” And whistled for her to get back over here, not my style, but it worked. By that time I had a red light, and she thought I just started betting max, and that ticked me off. I told her I was betting $1.50 the whole time, and said I was green (probably) while she was talking to everyone else. At that moment, she realized she screwed up and did apologize. So as a result...

Another Vegas favorite, Joseph James Hop Box (8.2%; 4.25 sips). Freshest so far.



Now I'm starting to feel it, but I wanted a little bit more, and decided to have this one again because I know it had been discontinued. It's definitely good fresh, but this one was 11 months old.



And why not round out the night at 4:20 am with my third set of quad tens in a row!

[Vman96]

Day 2: Thurs. 5/10/18 An Evening on Fremont and a Ghetto Positioning System Detour

I get up earlier than I would like of course, and oblige M in going to the Mirage pool. Pools keep M happy, and it helps lets me be more of an alcoholic degenerate later. lol

View of pool from our room



View of Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden from our room!





Make a quick sports bet on tonight's hockey game. Can you say “Win-A-Peg”??



After the pool we hit up the Mirage Buffet, which we got from myVegas. We totally sucked at food porn for this one, but it definitely was the best buffet of three we had this trip! But I didn't forget to take a picture of the beer they offered that I never had!

Victory Peach Belgian Blonde w/Coriander (7.5%; 3.25 sips, but 4 sips with spicy food). The spicy food paired very, very well with it!



Then we decide to walk down the Strip a bit and peek into Caesars pool since there is an unguarded entrance by the buffet. So we do and walk around. We think about staying, but one problem, the entrance where you get the towels is the entrance where they will likely check keys!



Then wander over to another place rumored to be condemned, Margaritaville, and have one of their excellent frozen margaritas while we still can.



Then we prep to go downtown to meet up with @Ty from VMB and eat at 2nd Street Grill at Fremont. Even though GPS said I-15, a slowdown on I-15 made it a close call. So to be different, I decide to take us up LV Blvd instead.



Not this time Aztec Inn casino!  Apparently at the intersection of Bob Stupak and LV Blvd.



We had a great time talking about all sorts of things with Ty and his lovely wife Kim.  VP, the forum, and just general topics.  Very friendly and outgoing people!  You know I had a good time talking to them because I was the last to finish eating! And it was an awesome dinner.  The steak was perfect!  The best meal of the trip for us, thank you so much!!!

There is a very good steak under that bed of onions, I promise.



While at Fremont, I also wanted to play full pay pick'em while I was there. One problem. Those ****ers at Boyd took it away!!! Bah. At least I got one quad on them before they went bye-bye.

Per tradition, we also took a picture with the million dollars at Binion's and also visited a souvenir store or two.

We also caught the 9pm light show with Imagine Dragons.





Some views of Downtown







We stopped into the D for a bit. M played some Sigma Derby and VP for myself.  M also lost a $25 match play from the ACG.  Ouch!  Nothing exciting there.

Head back toward MSS where we parked the car.



Play a little bit of “full pay” VP at MSS. Some JoB, Treasure Chest, and a little Double STP sprinkled in. Still waiting for my first “scratch off” there. :(

It isn't a trip to MSS without whizzing on the Berlin Wall.



And a Black Chip Porter (4.3%; 3.25 sips) after about waiting 10 minutes... Very roasty character.



Now it was getting late and we figured it was best to get the car back to the Strip. But there was a closure along I-15, so the GPS did it's thing and sent us through some of Las Vegas's “not-so-hot” neighborhoods. We were about to remerge onto I-15 when we were driving past Palace Station. So, I say to M, “Why the hell not?”

Given the security presence, you know they are concerned about the area. But the inside of the casino was pretty nice.  The line for "Pan Roast" ranged from 9 to 15 people...haha  The only thing that bugged me was the ceilings were awfully low. It's a dumb reason, I know. But I did like that they had a brand new bar with 8/5 Bonus and craft beer near the bingo room, which also looks pretty nice.



Pumpkin Ale from Barley's Casino and Brewing Co. (5.7%; 3.75 sips)



But once again. I lost at a Stations casino! It's been at least 10 times at this point. Doh!

Getting pretty late, so head back decide to park the car back on the Strip.  Donny and Marie aren't going anywhere soon!



Head back to TAG for awhile. I'm still wanting my craft beer!

But before starting, I notice “Animal House” right outside of the bathroom and decide to try it. Glad I did. A 29.6X bonus when it was all said and done. About $15 profit when I quit.







”Animal House movie clip”

Back to TAG to become "fat, drunk, and stupid", many of the beers were repeats tonight though.

Start with a fresh $20.

First of many “pity flushes” this trip.



And more quads!





This hit pushed me over $100!



Cash my ticket out at $100 and start over.

Won a bit on that $20 too!



The wins tonight were too “Boo-Koo”! (6.5%; 4 sips) A nice balanced IPA.

[Vman96]

Day 3: Fri. 5/11/18 A Visit to My Future Second Home?

I promised M I would go to bed with her one night. Well, last night was one of those nights. Late last night, at the last minute, I worry that we might need a need a new key for Cosmo pool access over the weekend. It's M's and my favorite pool by far. So I mention that to Jen. She said she could meet us at Cosmo at 10, but it was almost 10 when we got up! Oops. Eventually agree to meet real quick outside of Ballys a bit after 11. I stupidly make M make a wrong turn into Ballys, so Jen and I briefly catch up while M circles the car around. Of course...did the pool really check the key later? No! Lol

Park the car at Cosmo, and then work our way down the Strip for the afternoon.



Our only walkthrough of Aria this trip. BeeeJay Row 802 DSTP was occupied and well as 804, bah.





Check out the ongoing “improvements” of ParkMGM, or as M likes to call it, “Vintage, Froo-Froo, Throw-Up” Casino. We forgot to take any pics of it. The sports book is lovely and has Bonus, DDB (8/5 quarters and 9/5 dollars!), and TDB STP, but one big strike against them. They won't comp any of their ample craft beer selection!!! :( :(

We did catch the pool area from the tram. We are not amused.





While at Vintage, Froo-Froo, Throw-Up Casino, we debate on lunch. We were originally thinking of Original Chicken Tender at MGM, but we also had a Nine Fine Irishmen award from myVegas (flat $35 comp for the “Buy One Get One entree”). I question if we will actually get this close to NYNY for the rest of the trip. So we decide to eat it now and exit ParkMGM via the Park.

Pics on the way.















Get to Nine Fine Irishmen, and promptly get seated in the “Lonely Single Diner's Corner”. Our waitress was friendly, but speed wasn't her strong suit. We decided to share a a Philly Cheese Steak and BBQ Chicken Sandwich. I thought the BBQ Chicken Sandwich was better, but both left something to be desired. Fries also overdone, imo. Toss in a ($5!) Mountain Dew and it only cost us a couple of bucks plus tip. For that price, no problem eating there again, but I would be very disappointed at full price.





Now wander to MGM to redeem some Groupon frozen margaritas and play there a bit.

Heard this song in there as well which had to be the trip “flavor of the month”. Heard it a lot in the car too. “No Roots” by Alice Merton.

”No Roots” Music Video











M really liked how the Ka dragon looked.



The MGM Lion watching “Virtual Ka”



M is a sucker for “Goldfish”



and Sigma Derby...



And I got to hear some of the sweetest words in all of video poker...”Quick Quads!”



M insisted on getting into the tub after MGM. I think that margarita hit her more than she thought...



Tram it back to Bellagio for requisite conservatory pictures.

Honoring Vegas Golden Knights goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, at the former Jean-Phillipe Patisserie



Now why is this turtle so happy?



Because he is relieving himself! LOL



Other than that pic, whose M's 8-year old cousin might find funny, she was mostly disappointed in the display.











She takes this pic every time



Now off to our favorite pool at Cosmo. We find it so relaxing.

On the way...

[

The Knights stuff is really plastered over town.



Bye Britney!







Our happy place.



Now need to get ready for dinner at Le Village Buffet at Paris via another Groupon. We decide to move the car back, and likely was a stupid move at that hour. Took forever. Eventually get to Le Village Buffet about 8 pm!

At least the theme is cute...



I did remember to take one food pic at least.



And M remembered to take one of a crepe. Sadly the highlight.



Totally “Le Meh”. Selection was not in our favor. And I particularly didn't like that most of the dishes I picked were lukewarm from the start. If I would have paid full price, I would probably have complained.

Found this shirt in the gift shop that totally is me.



After the buffet, we decide to hit up M Resort because I wasn't sure where else would be a good place to fit it plus we could avoid the busy strip for a couple of hours.

Walk back to the car.



Decide to start with a Joseph James “I'm Out Stout” (9.3%; 4 sips)



A hit for M early on “Pompeii”.



Pity flush instead of my first “handy”.



And even though I shared a bottle of this with @w**ker751 meeting up with him at Joliet, I thought I needed to get this because it's usually $22/4 pack in a beer store. But it's “free” at the bar! The bartender was impressed that I didn't call it “KBS” like the tap hints.

Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (12.3%; 4.25 sips) with pity flush still showing (one minute of gap in pics *wink*). Bartender blew the pour though. Haha



A 41X hit for M.



Thought about another KBS due to value, but also thought I should try something new to me. Mikkeler's take on a New England IPA, “Windy Hill” (7%; 3.5 sips). Not as “juicy” as I hoped.



Another pity flush...ugh!



M eventually moves over to the bar and definitely does better than me.



I definitely could stay here for a handful of hours if M wasn't around...lol But 2 hours worth and 3 quality beers for a $20 loss. I'll take it!

View of the outskirts on the way back to TAG.



Back on the Strip



Open up the night at TAG with a Swami's (6.8%; 4.25 sips) with one of the best bartenders on the Strip, Stan!



M gets a bit bored and wanders to Harrah's for a bit. The new “Winnie and Buck” slot.



Looking for something new to try. Nick (aka “Fred Savage”) suggested this. Okay for the style (Belgian Dubbel), but not my cup of tea. (6.5%; 3.5 sips)



Jessica hooked me up with this beer. A bit stronger and more flavorful Guinness? (5.2%; 3.75 sips)



It had been a rough night at TAG as quads have eluded me so far. But finally a glimmer of hope.



Around this time, a group of people were buying drinks at the bar, and not all of them were well versed in VP. So they were curious about the game, and I was explaining VP to this one guy named Viddell. Now obviously other hardcore VP players might be overly annoyed by this while playing, but hell, teaching generally slows my ass down from losing like tonight. When he and his friends leave to wander around the casino, he actually blessed me when he said goodbye. I didn't expect that, but it was a nicer gesture than you normally expect in Vegas. Well, ten minutes later I hit this while this song was playing. I always think of the World Series of Poker with this song as it was its intro for awhile. haha

American Authors “Best Day of My Life” Music Video

As for the hit at 4:12 am...this wiped away the losses at TAG tonight!!!



I leave it up on the screen for a bit, and see one of his group. I tell him, “Tell your buddy Viddell that I hit something good!” Well, Viddell was nearby, so he gave me a high five. A nice drunken Vegas moment.

Around this time, I think I should be “wrapping it up” for the night. Get to Harrah's but the drunk in me thinks, oh you could have one more Guinness.  (4.2%; 3.75 sips)  Yeah that cost $20 at least. Then I move to the unit with 8/5 DDB w/STP. And the bartender said a girl abandoned a Modelo, and he preferred not to waste it. Feeling bad I take it. (4.5%; 3.5 sips)



I did hit this though to right the ship a bit. One more ace though, please!!!



About this time, a guy who was an Indians fan was at the bar...that was another 30 minute drunken conversation. First time I went to bed when the sun came up...won't be the last!

[Vman96]

Day 4: Sat. 5/12/18 A Hilarious Visit to “The Sandman”

Another slowish start to the day because “Mr. Drunky” stayed out until sun up. This afternoon, we decide to head out to the 'Burbs again to eat Fatburger at Green Valley Ranch and also visit things M likes to visit, like Kohl's and the Outlet Mall...kill me now.

Fatburger was solid for the price as usual with better cooked steak fries than Nine Fine Irishmen. Fast food porn fail though...haha Then we decide to play at GVR for about 45 minutes. Of course, since it's a Stations, that means it's another loss for me. But not before having these two Ballast Point beers that weren't even clearly posted for sale.

California Amber (5.5%; 3.5 sips)



Longfin Lager (4.5%; 3.5 sips)



Fortunately, the outlet mall wasn't a total bust for M, and we headed back toward the Strip, so I could meet up with @montecarloplayer who graciously offered Adam Sandler tickets to us. Get the car back in its normal Strip spot for the night and a quick shower. I hoof it down to Cosmo to meet up with @montecarloplayer.

Pic on the way



Also meet some of the other Cosmo slot tourney participants still hanging around, including @jenblase, @boots, @3vees, @pleasemum, and probably a couple of others I'm missing. :( Unfortunately, the dude watching the door to the tourney wasn't happy with my lack of a player's badge. Eventually Jen snuck me in, and I said hi to everyone. After that, Jen and I caught the end of the Golden Knights game in the Sportsbook, and she got a beer for both of us since the VP machines were packed. I chose my Cosmo beer default, Space Dust (8.2%; 4 sips). Thanks Jen!



Unfortunately, I was a net one dollar loser on these tickets as I won the “over”, but Winnipeg took Game 1.



Time was ticking away, and M and I tried to squeeze in some food. But the place I picked, Popeye's, wasn't going fast at all. So we decide to wait until after the show.



Adam Sandler was awesome!!! I was laughing my ass off nearly the whole time!!! From Rob Schneider opening until the very end, I had to actually try not to laugh at times to give my diaphragm a rest! I was worried that M wouldn't care for the show too much as I expected a decent amount of “dirty humor”, which there was. However, “The Sandman” was fairly balanced and had a good amount of jokes about family and relationships, which M enjoyed more. During the middle of the show, Adam had his daughters (~13 and ~10) come out to perform Bonnie Tyler's “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. They were both wonderful and got a standing ovation!

The show was also being recorded for a future Netflix production and our seats were so great, there is a chance you might see us on the show. I'm in my Nordiques hat of course. The woman in front of us begins speaking to Adam in a softer voice with an accent that she is one day younger than him. He seems to not understand what she is saying, so to move things along, I belt out, “She's one day younger than you!” lol

View from our seats



Such a wonderful show all around with a lot of hilarious songs! And I could also tell how much Adam himself wanted to actually put on a good show! M wanted me to say how thankful she was for these tickets @montecarloplayer! We both loved the show! A huge highlight of the trip! Thank you!!!

One drawback though is that they started the show late, and ran the show a bit late as well, so dinner after the show? Getting to TAG at 10:30p? Hahaha. NO!!!

Walking out I see @lousyatcraps, and we have a nice chat with him on the way out of the Chelsea. He was hoping to meet up with other forum members at TAG that night, but like a lot of people there this weekend, he had a fairly early flight the next day, and he had work to do before the flight on top of it! Boo work!! But I was glad to see him again, and hope I get to hang out with him more in the future.

Finally worm our way down to the casino floor and bump into @Figment76 and Mrs. Figment. They say they will meet us at TAG and eventually we get there nearly at the same time.

Walk over to TAG.





When we get to TAG, I didn't really recognize anyone, and was tempted to get food with M instead. But I thought it was better to stay around just in case people did show up. M is dead serious about me not being able to drink without eating, however. Fortunately, she was nice enough to pick up some food for me.

Open the drinking up with a Joseph James Citra Rye (5.4%; 3.75 sips)



Soon after @Figment76 and Mrs. Figment show up. As well as @jenblase's friends Heather and Ty (not the Ty I met on Thursday). Ty was happy when I pointed out that TAG had Swami's. And I'm pretty sure Heather had a Rekorderlig Cider. My booze soaked brain forgot to have one of those; they aren't cheap! The luckiest of the group that showed up was @joshj. He made the comment that he wanted to rack up the points, so I relinquished my seat at the multiline machine to him while I finished eating. Soon after, a masseuse came by offering services. He decided to have a massage while playing, and went on a tear after that. At one point, he ran his initial $100 to $500 during nearly an hour's worth of massage!

All us VP addicts try a Purple Haze together I think (4.2%; 3.75 sips)



M got a little bored with the forum/gambling talk, so she snuck off to Flamingo.



Josh and I both had a Founders porter too, iirc. (6.5%; 3.75 sips)



Unfortunately I think @Figment76 and I made a decent donation to CET that night. I bled off quite a few $20 bills. I would hate to imagine my losses if I wasn't chatting away! But thanks everyone for coming! Actually my only pic worthy hit, and a crappy drunk pic at that was right after @joshj left, and I played on his “hot” machine. I forgot to change the game, so max bet on the very first spin...whoops! But I won about $25 on that one on the top line!



Thanks everyone for coming!

M was having a ball at Flamingo dancing with random strangers until about 3. I called it a night somewhat early, and we both went to bed close to 4. Yeah, that's “early” in my book, dammit! Haha

[Vman96]

Day 5: Sun. 5/13/18 A Real Visit from “The Sandman” at Vdara and a Crucial Nighttime Decision.

Part of the reason I was also willing to go to bed last night with M “early” was we had to get up and check-out of Mirage. Why? Because @Figment76 and his wife were kind enough to offer up their double-booked room at Vdara for the night to us. We always were curious about Vdara, so we graciously accepted the offer. Thank you very much, Figment and Mrs. Figment!

But before arriving at Vdara, we get some lunch first and make a few other South Strip casino rounds. We decide on lunch at Original Chicken Tender at MGM but park at Tropicana because MGM are parking jerks. We park at Tropicana underneath a sign for Tropicana guests only. Well, we did gamble at Tropicana! Blew $20 into a 6/5 Bonus Deluxe “Ultimate 4 of a kind Bonus” single line game (98.50%) without anything better than a push. Then I stumbled across a “Five Star Poker” machine, and I decided to give “Random Rewards” a shot.

I think I made the right call on this hold, what do you think?



I was hoping I would get a flush or better to get one of these “Random Rewards”, but it wasn't meant to be. But only lost $5 more. Then M took a few pics from the Tropicana perspective.

Pic of NYNY with our new Western Conference Champions!!!



Pic of MGM



Pic of Original Chicken Tender. The were bigger than they looked. And tasted great!



Pic from MGM Porte Cochere



Time for some...



The new Steak 'n Shake Bar for your ~Strip Steak 'n Shake needs! Obviously a big success!



I decided to blow some money into a “Bewitched” slot since it was one of M's favorite TV shows when her “Nana” babysat her growing up. It gave me a bit of play, but no bonus means “loser”.

More pics from Tropicana. This time of “Vintage, Froo-Froo, Throw Up” Casino





At this point, we move our stuff to Vdara and M drops the car off at Cosmo. A 7 minute walk is worth saving a parking fee...

The room is very nice, and would be really practical if you want to do things like cook. But no thanks!











But being in the Vdara room, it was wearing us out fast.

Head down to the Vdara pool for a bit.



The “Death Ray”



In terms of hot tub, we sorta thought the Vdara pool area was a bust. But M liked the wall in the elevator though.



At this point, we were both hitting a bit of a figurative wall. As @Figment76 asked me last night, “I dunno how you can do all this without sleep!” Well, the short answer is I can't. So we needed a bit of a nap before going on for the rest of the day.

After that we head back to the Cosmo pool. But a few pictures first.

Happy Mommy's Day!











After the Cosmo Pool, take our time from the room, and got these cool pics near twilight.

The fire station between Cosmo and Vdara.



Pic of Vdara from Cosmo



Decide on Ellis Island BBQ for dinner tonight.

But since it was Mother's Day, there was still a line at nearly 8:30! So we played a little first.

Also had Ellis Island root beer, because their regular taps typically suck (N/A; 4.25 sips)

Chasing a positive progressive machine also with a ~$1150 Royal. No Aces w/kicker though. :(



M got this on Hexbreaker with only a 13 cent bet! A top 2% ladder bonus!



We eventually get called. Sauce was a little light (but there is extra on the table), but the smoke in the meat was great!



Since it was Mothers' Day, Boyd offered a 11X slot and 6X VP multiplier. So after Ellis Island, we thought it would be a good idea to hit Orleans real fast.

View of Strip from the car.





They're still there...



Unfortunately, this was a mistake. M and I got killed pretty badly. I got a bonus on “The Munsters”, which it was clearly on its last legs. Switching game modes literally took 10 seconds. I was waiting for it to “tilt” on me.



Also tried “The Big Lebowski” for the first time. That was a total bust for me.

Also had a Stone IPA in a can as it was the best hoppy choice there at the Crawfish Bar (6.9%; 4 sips).

By now it was approaching midnight, and I text @jenblase and @Figment76 as I thought they both would still be up gambling at Cosmo. Well, yeah, I was wrong. So that brought up a bit of a dilemma. Go back to TAG for one more night? Or finally give Cosmo some play since it was close to Vdara and we snubbed it for play to this point? M sounded flexible, but she did want to park the car at Cosmo.

Does this beer picture tell you our final decision? The napkin probably does... Space Dust (8.2%; 4 sips)



M gets a quick 10X multiplier win on STP.



About 20 minutes later, I just cross the 20 point ($120 coin-in) mark playing 6/5 Super DDB (97.69%). I was watching intently for my drink voucher. Play one more hand. Glad I chose Cosmo!!!!!



HELL YEAH!!! $500!!! Guaranteed trip winner!!! And as a bonus, it did spit out the drink voucher on that hand! Bartender also congratulated me. And glad I hit this here vs. TAG since I would almost certainly be playing Bonus STP at TAG and that would only have been $100, 'cuz math, duh.

Here's another crazy fact. It was five years TO THE DAY (May 14th) that I got my first Aces with kicker on DDB in Vegas, my only two in Vegas ever. My first happened at Mirage in days before lights and drink tickets, so I wasn't max betting. :( Also at that time, my phone was dead, doh!, and actually got another guy to take the pic!



And as a true VP douchebag, I left the hand on the game (I never really do this), and moved to the multi-game unit there. Didn't do half shabby there either.

Weird two flushes with same card.



It was getting about 1am now, where the sports book unfortunately now closes on weekdays (and probably every day). The bartender asked if I wanted anything more before he closed, and I said I don't have a ticket yet. He said don't worry about it. Oh really? That Space Dust was tipped five bucks...

But after closing I wanted to grab another ticket for later since he said I could use the sports book tickets anywhere. I also had to do the “potty dance”. Doh! But worked in my favor with a quad on Boner Deluxe!!! Only one more point to go for another ticket!



Catch up with M and let her keep my $500+ voucher for “safe keeping”.

M was getting beat...and of course I was wired as a winner. So she headed back to Vdara.





I move over to Bond for a “complimentary” raspberry lemon drop.



Then I notice a good VP choice for nickels at Bond. Double Bonus Deuces Wild (97.68%) spin poker. Problem is, I'm hitting natural quads tonight!





Bond closes at 2 on weekdays now. Ugh. And of course Chandelier was packed. I even was that jerk that asked people to move to play the multi-game machine. I move over to 8/5 Boner Deluxe STP (97.67%) at Chandelier. Again two hits with the exact same card.



But that's all I got in a couple of hours at Chandelier...and bleed twenties otherwise. Maybe that's my punishment for asking a guy to move from this seat so I could play multiline STP. The bartender also gave me crap when I asked for a second strawberry lemon drop there since he said it would take two tickets. Well, twist my arm, I guess I will have another Space Dust instead with one ticket. And how many waters can I get without an extra ticket? “One.” Every other casino I ask doesn't blink an eye at two generic bottle waters. Screw your bosses, buddy.

Wander back to the empty sports book. Oh look what I can get for free???



Has anyone played the progressives since the bar closed since I did? Of course not. Still at $1176.



Could you imagine I hit AWAK on dollars? I WISH!!! But I did cashout at $516.25...lol



Could I have another gigantic night!?!?!



Nope. But a pity flush of course.



Now it's about 430am and I am “feeling good” about the night. But before I head back to Vdara, I certainly give my valid spare drink ticket to some drunk girl standing with her friends near the bar. Screw that bartender!

Unfortunately, on the way back to Vdara, I notice the 100 plays with penny “Airport Deuces” (98.91%). So of course, I feel obligated, cuz math. Why do I feel obligated again?!?!?! Why do you like this game @jenblase???



2nd Aces with a kicker tonight, but only 75 cents!!! :( :( :( THANK GOD I hit AWAK earlier that night, otherwise I would have been furious over this!

6 minutes later, why couldn't I pull the two perfect cards here like I did with the AAAA2? :( I would take a penny royal...



Dammit, this quad is worth $200 at the sportsbook game I was playing.



That hit, just after the stroke of 5am made me “done for the night” and my luck has disappeared. M probably wasn't thrilled with my late appearance either.

Some twilight pics back to Vdara.

[Vman96]

Day 6: Mon. 5/14/18 A Day of Rocks and An Offer We Couldn't Refuse

Of course, we get another slow start thanks to me of course. Check-out roughly at 11am. Then drag our luggage to Cosmo. Plans for lunch were to go to Red Rock for a buy one get one buffet.

Pics on the way



UFC Headquarters





We get to Red Rock Buffet. Yeah, I was totally disappointed with this one. I struggled to find things to eat!! I had an extraordinary amount of tacos that afternoon, not by choice! Dessert was the highlight. M bailed on me a bit early though so she could play bingo. She was worried I would care about her about bailing on the buffet early, but I knew she liked bingo, so I could care less. Even though she lost her small stake, that sure made her happy. And that also gave me a bit of time to “day drink” after the buffet.

Red Rock doesn't have the best “comp” beer selection. Choose a Lagunitas IPA (6.2%; 4 sips). But with the bar offering 8/5 Bonus with over a $1600 Royal, I gotta play. My initial spot didn't do me very well, so I decide to move to the other side of the mostly empty bar. On the way, there was a guy with a service dog though. Well, my dumbass wasn't looking down when I walked, so I accidentally walked into his dog. I felt like a complete jerk and apologized. Fortunately, he understood and was cool about it. The second machine treated me well though, and for the first time ever I escaped a Stations Casino a winner! ($50 in)



Per my request, we move on to Rampart, which we haven't visited in over two years.

Mountains in the 'Burbs.



Rampart is a micro roller VP paradise.



M found penny “Dream Card” and had a decent run.





I decide to get another beer. But since bartender was training someone, felt like forever. Settled on this. Too malty for me. (6.5%; 3.5 sips)



Eventually I find what I really was looking for here. Cash King Checkers! It's like a VP machine with checkers! And this time I got to jump the gold checker for the bonus round!



Bad news, my bonus round sucked and I won 45 nickels on it...bah.

M got a much better bonus...81X!



We head back to Cosmo a bit to hang at the pool. The GPS detoured us again because of the construction on I-15. Took some time, but wasn't terribly out of the way.

So after we got done at the pool, we hit up another new place for us. Hard Rock Casino!

Tons of Rock Memorabilia



























I think the bars look pretty cool too!



M has always loved Linkin Park



We weasel our way back to the Goose Island Pub, and apparently all beer under $12 was compable. So I have a Sofie (6.5%; 3.75 sips)



Machine doesn't go my way and blow a $20 while the Knights game is on.

Around this time, we decide we should use our Groupon for Michael T's Steaks, Ribs, and Burgers that we got for half off. $25 total.

Pic on the way.



It also included a bottle of wine. I chose merlot as M wasn't feeling well and didn't care what we drank. All of a sudden, she seemed to come down with a cold. Salad and dessert was decent, but the worst part was the main course, unfortunately. I would rather pay $10 to Texas Roadhouse for one their sirloins to be honest. As a result, we screwed up the food porn. :(

After dinner though, we weren't done with this place, as they offered $50 match play for “new members”. What that means is they offered $50 free play as soon as you got $50 coin-in. So you bet we are doing that! Got a “free” beer in the process. Bad Beat Brewing “Bluffing Isn't Weisse” (5.1%; 3.75 sips).



And they also offered 6/5 Super DDB (97.69%) like Cosmo Sports Book, so why not?

Unfortunately, we were both quad free. This was one of my better hits, another “pity flush”.



But after the match play, M was ahead $30 and I was ahead $20. Works for us!

Unfortunately, time was really ticking and we really only have time for one more stop. And I suggest South Point with the last beer of the trip. A Four Peaks Kilt Lifter (6%; 3.75 sips). The beer treated me better than the 9/6 Boner Deluxe machines!





Returned the car with about 80 minutes before departure. But various delays, including TSA almost screwed us on our flight as M's carry-on had to be hand searched for the second trip in a row. We were one of the last six people on the plane I think...Oops!

Redeye was rough of course. But at ~$50 a person per leg, we can't complain. We had another wonderful time! M is already thinking of coming back for her birthday, even though she did terrible for the tiny amount of play she had! Thanks for reading along!

[Tedlark]

A long but entertaining read Vman, thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[EDC1977]

Quite the trip Vman. Win, lose or draw, M and yourself look like you had a blast. I don't care about anything else as long as the entertainment value is there. One day you must wander down the Boulder strip eastside way. Anyways, congrats you two!

[FloridaPhil]

It's soooo much fun reading your posts. Members may not realize how much work goes into them.  Amazing!    I love them because you enjoy your trips as trips, not hard core gambling assignments.   I feel like I'm right there with you.   

[OTABILL]

Nice report. Glad you had a great trip.