Hard 8 :: ::: Trip Report (v. long)

[Hard 8 :: ::]

Ran all over town to scout around, (as opposed to previous trips hitting only a very short list of top targets on multiple shifts).

Five days, Sunday through Thursday, played in 22 different casinos. Hit a couple of them twice or more (on different shifts) to see if conditions varied, for a total of 32 hours of actual play. In the couple of months since my last trip, some changes were apparent. 1D appears to be on the rebound. Late Surrender is spreading. 6:5, which had blossomed like a fungus a couple of years ago seems to be on the wane. And most significantly, afternoon and early evening crowds were surprisingly thin.

Some of my previously favorite venues didn't get onto the short list this time. Also, at a couple of locales, Pen seemed to be better than that reported in CBJN and proved to be worth pursuing.

The biggest change over time is that nearly the entire town has gotten sweatier for the red-chip player. (Reminds me of the old joke, "I wanted a screamer for Christmas, but all I got was a sweater.")

Played from about 1:00 am to 4:00 pm every day, but with some minor exceptions, (due to adapting to flight times in & out). Tables were still crowded at 1:00 am, but the places I went to typically detumesced by about 2:00 or 3:00 am.

Played 1.0 hours on 1D and 2D, 3.0 hours on 6D. If I caught a shift change, I might extend my stay slightly.

Planned this trip using CBJN, first excising all of the 6:5, fake21, Spanish 21, and csm games, then likewise cut $100 minimum and up games (I'm a low-roller). Although a couple of $25 min games made the first cut of my screening, they typically have relatively low SCORES at my bankroll level. A couple of these look pretty enticing on paper, if you've got the BR. Screened the remaining games by Pen, retaining games that met the following criteria: 1D = 0.5 or less; 2D = 0.8 or less; 6D =1.5 or less. (Penetration numbers are as reported in CBJN, namely number of decks remaining unused at time of shuffle.) Then sorted these games by SCORE, then cut out several of these for various other reasons.

Air fare was $310. Total in-town expenses were $118.00, as follows: hotel for four nights (LL downtown) was $84 ($21 bucks a night, via Travelaxe); Bus fares all over town: $10.50 (no car); Misc. tips $22.00; Iron rations (two Snickers bars) $1.50. Got comped for four different buffets, where I ate enough that I only had to eat once a day. That's it. Would have spent more on gambling knick-knacks, but the gift shop at the EL C is closed for remodeling.

Enjoyed the LL, where I have often stayed in the past ? very quiet compared to other LV hotels, squeaky clean, pleasant. I enjoy the travertine bathroom d?cor you get in some rooms.

Last time I was in town I stayed at the LUZOR ("the x is pronounced like a z, as in xylophone"), and although it was kind of fun, it was too expensive (even using Travelaxe), too noisy, too time consuming walking through that massive joint to get anywhere, and poorly connected to the mass transit system, such that time was wasted every day when either heading out to work or coming back. After about two days the cuteness wore off and started to get on my nerves, which was only partly offset by the neat soaps and shampoos & crap. Also, when you crawl out of bed when the alarm clock goes off at 2:00 am, and you look out the window to gaze at the scenery, and mostly all you see is the grotesque reflection of the top of your head in the slanted windows, that's a bit too surrealistic for me. Also, their bj game has deteriorated in just the short time since I was there last. (They do have a great sports book.)

LL on the other hand, is quiet, plain, and cheap, and also extremely handy for either making your downtown rounds or connecting to the bus system. One minor drawback, learned the hard way, is that with my unusual sleep schedule, it was a mistake to try to fall asleep during the thumping noise of the Fremont Street Experience, which at times carries the three blocks at an annoying level, so it paid dividends to rearrange the schedule to be already asleep before it started, and these afternoons I slept through it, no problem. Also, based on past stays, I would not recommend a room on the Third Street side, as there is a wankercycle bar there with its associated and inevitable identity-crisis engine revving in the middle of the night. This time I remembered to request a room on the east side of the East Tower. The great view of the Boulder Highway & mountains beyond, a part of the Strip, the Gold Spike, and the swarms of homeless people sleeping in the park all combine to help keep you grounded in reality.

$5,000 trip bankroll, stuffed into extra pockets sewn onto the insides of my shirt tails.

DAY 1

On-time flight arrived in late morning. Caught the crowded 108 bus after a one minute wait, check-in at the LL took about two minutes, for a total transit time of less than fifty minutes from jetway to hotel room.

Moving kinda slow in the mid-day oven, mentally getting geared up, headed out into the relatively un-crowded downtown:

4Q 1D $5 minimum, h17, das; 0.0 Hour: table was full, with people standing behind waiting to play. Glanced across the room to a couple of empty 2D tables:

4Q 2D, $5, h17, das; Pen. 0.7 decks remaining below cut card; 1.0 Hr; Played heads up for the whole hour; Spread $10-80, but in low counts dropped back to $5, for an effective spread of between 1:8 and 1:16. [-$50].

PLA 2D, $5, s17, das; Pen 0.7; 1.0 Hr; 2-4 Players at various times throughout the hour; Spread $10-80. [+$202]

Went for a walk around downtown in the blistering heat. Did some people-watching at the Greyhound Station, which was mobbed. People in this town have a restless, edgy look. Can't think of the right word for it, but you see it a lot in LV, not only at the bus station, but in buffet lines, in high-roller rooms on the south Strip, in the pits, and everywhere in the packed ranks of slot players. Found a crack pipe on Main St. Crushed it under my heel in the gutter. Already this town is starting to piss me off. Then back to the hotel to sleep by about 7 pm, alarm set for 1:40 am to transition to graveyard.

DAY 2

Woke up two minutes before the alarm, feeling fired up. Shower, ? cup of black, bitter, in-room hotel coffee, & head out onto the still-warm, deserted pavement. Saw a grand total of two persons on the short walk over to the:

4Q 1D, $5, h17, das: 0.0 hr, table full. What the hell is wrong with these people, playing cards in the middle of the night?

BIN 1D, $10, h17 (no das), 1.0 Hr; Pen 4 rounds to three players for the first half hour, then three rounds to four players for the 2nd half; Spread 1:5; [ -$252]

4Q 1D, $5, h17 das, Pen 0.5 (using cut card); 1.0 Hour; Heads up for half the hour, three players for other half ; Spread 1:6 [-$15]

PLA 2D, $5, s17, das, Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, heads up for half, two other players joined for the 2nd half; Spread $10:50, (but dropped back to $5 at TC = -2 for a 1:10 spread), except for the periods when the junior PC was looking directly at me (a solid ten minutes at the start of my gig and for a couple minutes later in the hour), which put a regrettable ding in my bet ramp. [-$191]

LV CLUB 2D, $5, Pen 0.4, 1.0 Hr., heads up the whole hour, Spread 1:8 and on one high count 1:12; Got all the 20s & bj's, whooping & hollering. [+$652]

GN 2D, $5, Pen 0.8 (slot on side of shoe), 1.5 Hr, 1-3 players at various times, spread $10:80, basically unobserved and unmolested, as I was the low rolling trash in a herd of silver-haired retired executive types and their coifed and bejewelled wives betting greens, and also the PCs were too busy socializing with each other to watch; Dropped to $5 at TC = -2 or less; When table min bumped to $10, they let me continue playing $5. [+$38]

Took a break to eat breakfast

MSS 2D, $5, h17, No das, Pen 0.7, 1.0 Hr, but started to feel crowded as we gradually went from 3-5 players, Spread $10 to $80, dropped to $5 at TC = ?2 or less. Minimal sweat (occasional scrutiny). [+$202]

4Q 1D, $5, Pen RO6, Left after 0.9 hr when we went from 3 to 6 players, even though they were still dealing two rounds to the six of us; Spread $10 to $60, but dropped back to $5 at TC = -4, but was forced to limit spread to $20 during one high count due to an aggressive PC breathing down my neck and earning his pay. I mean, he was right in my face. I could count his beard stubbles. [+$15]

EL C 1D, $10 Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, 1-2 players (mostly heads up), Spread 1:5 under heavy scrutiny from a very serious & energetic pop-pop-pop PC. Dealer was extremely friendly when we were heads up, but she would clam when another player would stop by. This happened twice: two different big ugly guys that would play 4 or 5 hands, lose 'em all. Cowboy-type guy (hat and all) drifted off with an ironic expression after blowing $200; football player-type slammed his fist on the table & stormed off after dropping $100. As far as I could tell, he had only a two-word vocabulary, & both of them were "F---".

The biggest news: The old El C smell is gone. Could'a knocked me over with a feather. At this point in history, even the EM GEE EM smells worse. [-$90]

How time flies, already past my bedtime. The heat outside is so thick you can knock chunks of it off with a tire iron. Wandered back to the LL, sticking to the shade & dodging irritated drivers around the construction zone across the street from the EL C.

Tossed and turned for a good 30 seconds, asleep by 6:30 pm.

DAY 3

Woke up two minutes before the alarm at 12:30 am; shower, ? cup of coffee & head out into the night, at this point feeling very in the swing of things. Lively crowds of tourists, drunks, locals, & construction workers packed the 109 bus.

HIL 6D $5, h17, das, late surrender, Pen 1.0 ? 1.4, 3.0 hours; spread 1:16, 1-4 players; Heads up for the 1st hour. Then was joined by some of the techie crew & musicians from the mega- act of the singer who has a gig there. I forget his name, but I think he used to be with the Rolling Stones. Manfred something? Anyway, they said he is old but still very popular, I quote: "Whatever he had, he still has it." That was so profound it brought tears to my eyes. They were a jolly and pleasant bunch of kids, but I cringed when they admitted they're mostly blowing their per diem gambling, and they obviously do not know even basic strategy. Dealers were all extremely friendly. [+$248]

Back on the bus to:

TERBL 2D, $10, h17, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, but under heavy scrutiny from the pit dropped back to 1:6 for a while. Traditionally sweaty pit was somewhat distracted by three drunk gang members that swaggered in dressed all in black with their black baseball caps on backwards. Clueless, but chunking out three hundred dollar bets. They ought to pawn some of their gold chains and buy some soap. Talk about sweaty pits. Too bad the smell filled the room, because I had just started enjoying the greasy food smell piped in from the kitchen as breakfast time heated up. Fortunately they settled their whooping and hollering stinky asses at the next table, so I had the table to myself after the drunk guy talking to himself left. (He mostly talked about how he was a drunk.) [-$185]

Walked over to Swenson St. in the dawn to catch the 109 bus back downtown (40 minute wait!).

Breakfast

BIN 2D $10, h17; 1.25 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, 3-4 players. Very fast dealers. [-$65]

GN 2D $10, h17, no das; 1.0 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, 4-5 players; A retired executive (you could tell because he had those clumsy square eyeglasses that you used to see on NASA engineers back in the '60s, and the executive hairstyle, the cranky demeanor, and also he constantly barked orders at the cards, the dealer, and the cocktail waitress,) hit a soft 20 twice and busted. I thought his wife, who almost knew BS, was going to kill him. After that, red-faced, he always showed her his cards. Next step, diapers. [-$235]

4Q 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8 except for a period of 1:6 under close scrutiny by the pit (in between their joking around with each other, v. funny), 1-4 players (tourists popping in and out constantly) [+$137]

Trudged back to the LL, on the hot pavement, very tired, dropped into bed, felt like I was sinking about two feet down into the soft bed & pillows, asleep by 6:00 pm.

DAY 4

Woke up one minute before the alarm at 12:30 am; shower, ? cup of coffee & head out again. Tourists, drunks, & boozy college kids on the 301 bus, all talking in words of one syllable or less, mostly very loudly. ("I got to pee!" "Get off, get off!" "I got to pee!" "Get off"! "Oh, my head!" "You suck! giggle, giggle!") One kid thought the Macs in mid-Strip was called the "Behind the Stairs McDonalds", & the whole gang thought this was a crazy name and very hilarious. Transferred to the 201 beneath the obnoxious glaring and flashing electronic billboards of the EM GEE EM, NYNY, EXCAL, listened to the endless video loop of Gilda what's-her face tell the same feeble joke over & over, while waiting at the packed bus stop with a lot of smelly people. Like being in hell without the instruction manual.

ORL 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread $10:80, but dropped back to $5 on TC = -2 or less; Pit seemed very attentive, but they were apparently attending to somebody else, as I felt I got very little sweat. Two fellow players & a watcher were hard-boiled edgy "Chicks" with little sharp teeth, sculpted hair, glossy nails, multiple chi-chi cocktails, and exaggerated forms fit into tight spangly, low-cut dresses. All had several pounds of eye makeup. One of them should have tried the waterproof variety, as hers was streaked. She repeatedly apologized for "playing poorly" at third base (none of them knew much about blackjack). I said "No need to apologize," she said, "You don't understand, I'm a total wreck," I said "How so?", she said "You wouldn't understand," I said , "What?"

Then, the way you sometimes double down on ten against a dealer ace but you can feel, you can almost smell a four coming, the room seems to freeze as she nails my eyes with a laser beam stare and says, "Would you f___ around on me?"

The girlfriends are also giving me the hard stare. "No, of course not," I say, simultaneously thinking, "You'd never go out with me anyway, I'm not hunky and we all know that's your only criterion, and I'm old, and you're not my type anyway, I know you think you're attractive and sculpted, but to me that style is so forced and desperate, and also I'm extremely married, and your having been in "The affection business" is so sad and a horrible turn-off, and the count is plus four, time to chunk a bet out there."

The melodrama played itself out to the dreary end as she told the whole story, to wit she was in love and yet he "f___ed around on her" and she just found out today (he told her) and she is so sad.

Bowed out after my session was over, told her girlfriends to not let her do anything stupid, and headed to the restroom to wash up. Preoccupied and a little weary, I headed into the restroom. Fortunately, the right side of my brain was unobtrusively spinning along in fourth gear, and it started reading the sign about how alcohol consumption can be a bad idea during pregnancy, and when I saw the kotex machine I wheeled and bolted out the door. Yikes! "Also, lady," I thought, in my on-going mental conversation "I'm not your type, I'm too stoopid!" LOL [-$150]

Walking out through the dark parking lot, I kept looking over my shoulder, feeling hinky, with a physical sense of dread from the imagined scenario of "Hot Jilted Chick in Black Camaro Runs Down Insensitive Jerk in Casino Parking Lot in Revenge Plot Against Men". I know, I know, but hey, it's four o'clock in the morning. Besides, weirder things have happened.

Walked down Trop Ave, which was still radiating heat from the previous daytime burn, but almost devoid of cars to the shabby:

WiWiWe 2D, h17, DAS, Pen looked to be about 1.0, but I didn't stay to play, with one player at their one table with one pit boss and two security guards leaning on the table. (Hey, OUCHEZ, was that you? LOL) The whole scene felt reminiscent of the G SPIKE on a Tuesday night.

Walked over the bridge above I-15, an impressive river of steel and light in the warm pre-dawn dark. Waded through the ankle-deep rubbish under the off ramp, past the people sleeping at the tops of the concrete embankments under the bridge girders, past the unadorned backside of the EXCAL, and into the rackety:

NYNY 6D $10, h17, das, surr, Pen ; 3.0 hr; Spread 1:10, but the count stayed so flat or negative, I never got there; Occasional heavy scrutiny from the pit; 1-3 players drifting in & out, mostly seemed to be from the night before, incompetent, skinny 18-year olds with a lot of jack, but I got to play heads up for over an hour (cumulatively); Dealers got a lot of two-card 20s. At one point was down over $600, but ended up: [-$118]

Bkfst

Rode the 301 down the Strip, but got off at Riviera & got a view of the massively boring WYN (it's brown), walked over to Paradise (ludicrously misnamed), hit the day shift at the temple-motif:

HIL 6D $5, h17, das, surr; Pen 1.3, very fast dealers, spread 1:16; 2 players for most of the time, occ. went to 3. (Where is everybody? Working? On Hoover Dam tours?)
Extremely friendly dealers and pit, very gracious, but also very watchful. [+$176]

Walked over to look at the massive, deserted convention center across its expansive parking lot that is reminiscent of the Place de la Concorde but without the guillotine. Walking under the massive structure of the new tram, I was made a bit nervous by the sight of all the leaked/dripped oil & grease on the sidewalk below the elevated tracks. Bus ride back downtown; meant to get off at the Greyhound station, but instead rode to the next stop, where I had a front row seat for an altercation in the stinking alley behind La Bayou, guys shoving & punching & choking each other, banging into overflowing dumpsters and screaming? (Ok, Santa, forget the screamer).

PLA 2D $5, s17, das, Pen 0.6 (slot), 1.0 hr; 1-3 players, spread $10:80 except when being closely watched (dropped back to $10:50), and also dropped back to $5 at TC = -2 or less; Very friendly dealers and pit, but again, overly attentive, watching, watching? [+$144]

MSS 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.7, 0.75 hr; 3 players, suddenly jumped to 6, at which point I left. (Hoover Dam tour must be over, all these people came flooding in at once.) Spread 1:10; The mentally challenged, scowling dealer called "Czechs play" at $40 bets, and shuffled up if I had $50 out there. After I colored up, I stayed to watch the tourists play for the remainder of my hour. Observed one upper-middle age midwestern vacationer type hit a soft 20. [-$280]

LVC 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 1.0 hr, 3 players for 1st half, heads up for the 2nd (everybody ran outside to see the light show), spread 1:8 under only occasional scrutiny. [+$10]

Fell into bed worn out at 10 pm, slept dreamless.

DAY 5

Didn't wake until 7:00 am, a whole hour before the alarm, lap of luxury.
Leisurely breakfast, then out into the heat of day, in amongst the mentally retarded folks hanging out by The Flame, & back into the:

4Q 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 0.5 hr, (departed when the table went from 3 players to five); Spread 1:6. [+$37]

PLA 2D $5, s17, das; Pen 0.6, 1.25 hr, 2-3 players, spread 1:10; Dealer got boo-coo 20s & 21s in the first half hour; [+$205]

4Q 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.8, 1.0 hr, 1-3 players, spread $10:80. [+$77]

Back to the room to shower off all the cigarette smoke & change clothes for the trip home, then checked out.

In early-afternoon, caught the extremely packed 109 bus back out to the airport, clutching my matched luggage set (plastic grocery bags) in sweaty hands. AC on the bus was blown, so it got pretty steamy & stinky. Several times, the driver had to get up out of his seat and mash us all to the back of the bus using a 1X12 oak plank like a gladiator's shield to fit everybody on.

It finally occurred to me who it is in the touristy part of this town who does not have that grasping Vegas demeanor, the air of desperation that permeates this place: the CAT drivers. They are serene. Implacable, almost Buddha-like. Jolly without being silly. Solid. Admirable. They are the gunny sergeants in a town full of raw recruits and chicken-sh__ officers.

So, ended up, +$512 (+$84 after expenses).

A few general conclusions:

1. It was a singularly flat-line trip, money-wise, with unusually small peaks and valleys. The beast of Variance sleeps.

2. The dealers at a number of places had amazing runs of 20's & 21's, while I mostly mooched along with 14's & 15's. What a grind.

3. Pit crew in many places were overly diligent & watchful. For a red-chipper such as myself, this is quite a change from past days. They put a ding in my bet spread more than once, at least during the times they were actually standing right over me like a vulture, sometimes for as long as ten minutes at a stretch. Some of them were so bored that I was apparently the most interesting thing happening, which is truly frightening.

4. On the other hand, the crew at several places couldn't seem to care less.

5. At least half of the PCs I ran up against were very friendly, as were nearly all of the dealers. One guy, in a red-chip sweat-box from hell said, "Good luck now, win lots of money, unless you're counting cards. We don't want people here winning too much money." We both laughed. Spread 1:8 LOL.

6. The diachronous feel of this town is getting worse and worse.

Airport was relatively un-crowded in the early afternoon. Worked on my paperwork for about an hour. Spent some time watching people handling their thousands of pounds of luggage. What the hell do they have in there?? They can't all be anvil salesmen.

Pleasant flight, on time, home well before midnight. Soft, glowing golden new moon, on the wax, hanging low above the rolling wooded hills to the west. Quiet, except for the crickets. Only a few people up and about at this time of day in this part of the world. Glad to be climbing the steps to the front porch, enveloped in clouds of roses and cherry tomatoes, back home?

[Greasy John]

Nice report; couldn't read it all but will print it out. Enjoyable. But, the SD at 4Qs doesn't have das.

Greasy John

> Ran all over town to scout around, (as opposed to
> previous trips hitting only a very short list of top
> targets on multiple shifts).

> Five days, Sunday through Thursday, played in 22
> different casinos. Hit a couple of them twice or more
> (on different shifts) to see if conditions varied, for
> a total of 32 hours of actual play. In the couple of
> months since my last trip, some changes were apparent.
> 1D appears to be on the rebound. Late Surrender is
> spreading. 6:5, which had blossomed like a fungus a
> couple of years ago seems to be on the wane. And most
> significantly, afternoon and early evening crowds were
> surprisingly thin.

> Some of my previously favorite venues didn't get onto
> the short list this time. Also, at a couple of
> locales, Pen seemed to be better than that reported in
> CBJN and proved to be worth pursuing.

> The biggest change over time is that nearly the entire
> town has gotten sweatier for the red-chip player.
> (Reminds me of the old joke, "I wanted a screamer
> for Christmas, but all I got was a sweater.")

> Played from about 1:00 am to 4:00 pm every day, but
> with some minor exceptions, (due to adapting to flight
> times in & out). Tables were still crowded at 1:00
> am, but the places I went to typically detumesced by
> about 2:00 or 3:00 am.

> Played 1.0 hours on 1D and 2D, 3.0 hours on 6D. If I
> caught a shift change, I might extend my stay
> slightly.

> Planned this trip using CBJN, first excising all of
> the 6:5, fake21, Spanish 21, and csm games, then
> likewise cut $100 minimum and up games (I'm a
> low-roller). Although a couple of $25 min games made
> the first cut of my screening, they typically have
> relatively low SCORES at my bankroll level. A couple
> of these look pretty enticing on paper, if you've got
> the BR. Screened the remaining games by Pen, retaining
> games that met the following criteria: 1D = 0.5 or
> less; 2D = 0.8 or less; 6D =1.5 or less. (Penetration
> numbers are as reported in CBJN, namely number of
> decks remaining unused at time of shuffle.) Then
> sorted these games by SCORE, then cut out several of
> these for various other reasons.

> Air fare was $310. Total in-town expenses were
> $118.00, as follows: hotel for four nights (LL
> downtown) was $84 ($21 bucks a night, via Travelaxe);
> Bus fares all over town: $10.50 (no car); Misc. tips
> $22.00; Iron rations (two Snickers bars) $1.50. Got
> comped for four different buffets, where I ate enough
> that I only had to eat once a day. That's it. Would
> have spent more on gambling knick-knacks, but the gift
> shop at the EL C is closed for remodeling.

> Enjoyed the LL, where I have often stayed in the past
> ? very quiet compared to other LV hotels, squeaky
> clean, pleasant. I enjoy the travertine bathroom d?cor
> you get in some rooms.

> Last time I was in town I stayed at the LUZOR
> ("the x is pronounced like a z, as in
> xylophone"), and although it was kind of fun, it
> was too expensive (even using Travelaxe), too noisy,
> too time consuming walking through that massive joint
> to get anywhere, and poorly connected to the mass
> transit system, such that time was wasted every day
> when either heading out to work or coming back. After
> about two days the cuteness wore off and started to
> get on my nerves, which was only partly offset by the
> neat soaps and shampoos & crap. Also, when you
> crawl out of bed when the alarm clock goes off at 2:00
> am, and you look out the window to gaze at the
> scenery, and mostly all you see is the grotesque
> reflection of the top of your head in the slanted
> windows, that's a bit too surrealistic for me. Also,
> their bj game has deteriorated in just the short time
> since I was there last. (They do have a great sports
> book.)

> LL on the other hand, is quiet, plain, and cheap, and
> also extremely handy for either making your downtown
> rounds or connecting to the bus system. One minor
> drawback, learned the hard way, is that with my
> unusual sleep schedule, it was a mistake to try to
> fall asleep during the thumping noise of the Fremont
> Street Experience, which at times carries the three
> blocks at an annoying level, so it paid dividends to
> rearrange the schedule to be already asleep before it
> started, and these afternoons I slept through it, no
> problem. Also, based on past stays, I would not
> recommend a room on the Third Street side, as there is
> a wankercycle bar there with its associated and
> inevitable identity-crisis engine revving in the
> middle of the night. This time I remembered to request
> a room on the east side of the East Tower. The great
> view of the Boulder Highway & mountains beyond, a
> part of the Strip, the Gold Spike, and the swarms of
> homeless people sleeping in the park all combine to
> help keep you grounded in reality.

> $5,000 trip bankroll, stuffed into extra pockets sewn
> onto the insides of my shirt tails.

> DAY 1

> On-time flight arrived in late morning. Caught the
> crowded 108 bus after a one minute wait, check-in at
> the LL took about two minutes, for a total transit
> time of less than fifty minutes from jetway to hotel
> room.

> Moving kinda slow in the mid-day oven, mentally
> getting geared up, headed out into the relatively
> un-crowded downtown:

> 4Q 1D $5 minimum, h17, das; 0.0 Hour: table was full,
> with people standing behind waiting to play. Glanced
> across the room to a couple of empty 2D tables:

> 4Q 2D, $5, h17, das; Pen. 0.7 decks remaining below
> cut card; 1.0 Hr; Played heads up for the whole hour;
> Spread $10-80, but in low counts dropped back to $5,
> for an effective spread of between 1:8 and 1:16.
> [-$50].

> PLA 2D, $5, s17, das; Pen 0.7; 1.0 Hr; 2-4 Players at
> various times throughout the hour; Spread $10-80.
> [+$202]

> Went for a walk around downtown in the blistering
> heat. Did some people-watching at the Greyhound
> Station, which was mobbed. People in this town have a
> restless, edgy look. Can't think of the right word for
> it, but you see it a lot in LV, not only at the bus
> station, but in buffet lines, in high-roller rooms on
> the south Strip, in the pits, and everywhere in the
> packed ranks of slot players. Found a crack pipe on
> Main St. Crushed it under my heel in the gutter.
> Already this town is starting to piss me off. Then
> back to the hotel to sleep by about 7 pm, alarm set
> for 1:40 am to transition to graveyard.

> DAY 2

> Woke up two minutes before the alarm, feeling fired
> up. Shower, ? cup of black, bitter, in-room hotel
> coffee, & head out onto the still-warm, deserted
> pavement. Saw a grand total of two persons on the
> short walk over to the:

> 4Q 1D, $5, h17, das: 0.0 hr, table full. What the hell
> is wrong with these people, playing cards in the
> middle of the night?

> BIN 1D, $10, h17 (no das), 1.0 Hr; Pen 4 rounds to
> three players for the first half hour, then three
> rounds to four players for the 2nd half; Spread 1:5; [
> -$252]

> 4Q 1D, $5, h17 das, Pen 0.5 (using cut card); 1.0
> Hour; Heads up for half the hour, three players for
> other half ; Spread 1:6 [-$15]

> PLA 2D, $5, s17, das, Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, heads up for
> half, two other players joined for the 2nd half;
> Spread $10:50, (but dropped back to $5 at TC = -2 for
> a 1:10 spread), except for the periods when the junior
> PC was looking directly at me (a solid ten minutes at
> the start of my gig and for a couple minutes later in
> the hour), which put a regrettable ding in my bet
> ramp. [-$191]

> LV CLUB 2D, $5, Pen 0.4, 1.0 Hr., heads up the whole
> hour, Spread 1:8 and on one high count 1:12; Got all
> the 20s & bj's, whooping & hollering. [+$652]

> GN 2D, $5, Pen 0.8 (slot on side of shoe), 1.5 Hr, 1-3
> players at various times, spread $10:80, basically
> unobserved and unmolested, as I was the low rolling
> trash in a herd of silver-haired retired executive
> types and their coifed and bejewelled wives betting
> greens, and also the PCs were too busy socializing
> with each other to watch; Dropped to $5 at TC = -2 or
> less; When table min bumped to $10, they let me
> continue playing $5. [+$38]

> Took a break to eat breakfast

> MSS 2D, $5, h17, No das, Pen 0.7, 1.0 Hr, but started
> to feel crowded as we gradually went from 3-5 players,
> Spread $10 to $80, dropped to $5 at TC = ?2 or less.
> Minimal sweat (occasional scrutiny). [+$202]

> 4Q 1D, $5, Pen RO6, Left after 0.9 hr when we went
> from 3 to 6 players, even though they were still
> dealing two rounds to the six of us; Spread $10 to
> $60, but dropped back to $5 at TC = -4, but was forced
> to limit spread to $20 during one high count due to an
> aggressive PC breathing down my neck and earning his
> pay. I mean, he was right in my face. I could count
> his beard stubbles. [+$15]

> EL C 1D, $10 Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, 1-2 players (mostly
> heads up), Spread 1:5 under heavy scrutiny from a very
> serious & energetic pop-pop-pop PC. Dealer was
> extremely friendly when we were heads up, but she
> would clam when another player would stop by. This
> happened twice: two different big ugly guys that would
> play 4 or 5 hands, lose 'em all. Cowboy-type guy (hat
> and all) drifted off with an ironic expression after
> blowing $200; football player-type slammed his fist on
> the table & stormed off after dropping $100. As
> far as I could tell, he had only a two-word
> vocabulary, & both of them were "F---".

> The biggest news: The old El C smell is gone. Could'a
> knocked me over with a feather. At this point in
> history, even the EM GEE EM smells worse. [-$90]

> How time flies, already past my bedtime. The heat
> outside is so thick you can knock chunks of it off
> with a tire iron. Wandered back to the LL, sticking to
> the shade & dodging irritated drivers around the
> construction zone across the street from the EL C.

> Tossed and turned for a good 30 seconds, asleep by
> 6:30 pm.

> DAY 3

> Woke up two minutes before the alarm at 12:30 am;
> shower, ? cup of coffee & head out into the night,
> at this point feeling very in the swing of things.
> Lively crowds of tourists, drunks, locals, &
> construction workers packed the 109 bus.

> HIL 6D $5, h17, das, late surrender, Pen 1.0 ? 1.4,
> 3.0 hours; spread 1:16, 1-4 players; Heads up for the
> 1st hour. Then was joined by some of the techie crew
> & musicians from the mega- act of the singer who
> has a gig there. I forget his name, but I think he
> used to be with the Rolling Stones. Manfred something?
> Anyway, they said he is old but still very popular, I
> quote: "Whatever he had, he still has it."
> That was so profound it brought tears to my eyes. They
> were a jolly and pleasant bunch of kids, but I cringed
> when they admitted they're mostly blowing their per
> diem gambling, and they obviously do not know even
> basic strategy. Dealers were all extremely friendly.
> [+$248]

> Back on the bus to:

> TERBL 2D, $10, h17, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, but under
> heavy scrutiny from the pit dropped back to 1:6 for a
> while. Traditionally sweaty pit was somewhat
> distracted by three drunk gang members that swaggered
> in dressed all in black with their black baseball caps
> on backwards. Clueless, but chunking out three hundred
> dollar bets. They ought to pawn some of their gold
> chains and buy some soap. Talk about sweaty pits. Too
> bad the smell filled the room, because I had just
> started enjoying the greasy food smell piped in from
> the kitchen as breakfast time heated up. Fortunately
> they settled their whooping and hollering stinky asses
> at the next table, so I had the table to myself after
> the drunk guy talking to himself left. (He mostly
> talked about how he was a drunk.) [-$185]

> Walked over to Swenson St. in the dawn to catch the
> 109 bus back downtown (40 minute wait!).

> Breakfast

> BIN 2D $10, h17; 1.25 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, 3-4
> players. Very fast dealers. [-$65]

> GN 2D $10, h17, no das; 1.0 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8,
> 4-5 players; A retired executive (you could tell
> because he had those clumsy square eyeglasses that you
> used to see on NASA engineers back in the '60s, and
> the executive hairstyle, the cranky demeanor, and also
> he constantly barked orders at the cards, the dealer,
> and the cocktail waitress,) hit a soft 20 twice and
> busted. I thought his wife, who almost knew BS, was
> going to kill him. After that, red-faced, he always
> showed her his cards. Next step, diapers. [-$235]

> 4Q 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8 except
> for a period of 1:6 under close scrutiny by the pit
> (in between their joking around with each other, v.
> funny), 1-4 players (tourists popping in and out
> constantly) [+$137]

> Trudged back to the LL, on the hot pavement, very
> tired, dropped into bed, felt like I was sinking about
> two feet down into the soft bed & pillows, asleep
> by 6:00 pm.

> DAY 4

> Woke up one minute before the alarm at 12:30 am;
> shower, ? cup of coffee & head out again.
> Tourists, drunks, & boozy college kids on the 301
> bus, all talking in words of one syllable or less,
> mostly very loudly. ("I got to pee!"
> "Get off, get off!" "I got to
> pee!" "Get off"! "Oh, my
> head!" "You suck! giggle, giggle!") One
> kid thought the Macs in mid-Strip was called the
> "Behind the Stairs McDonalds", & the
> whole gang thought this was a crazy name and very
> hilarious. Transferred to the 201 beneath the
> obnoxious glaring and flashing electronic billboards
> of the EM GEE EM, NYNY, EXCAL, listened to the endless
> video loop of Gilda what's-her face tell the same
> feeble joke over & over, while waiting at the
> packed bus stop with a lot of smelly people. Like
> being in hell without the instruction manual.

> ORL 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread $10:80,
> but dropped back to $5 on TC = -2 or less; Pit seemed
> very attentive, but they were apparently attending to
> somebody else, as I felt I got very little sweat. Two
> fellow players & a watcher were hard-boiled edgy
> "Chicks" with little sharp teeth, sculpted
> hair, glossy nails, multiple chi-chi cocktails, and
> exaggerated forms fit into tight spangly, low-cut
> dresses. All had several pounds of eye makeup. One of
> them should have tried the waterproof variety, as hers
> was streaked. She repeatedly apologized for
> "playing poorly" at third base (none of them
> knew much about blackjack). I said "No need to
> apologize," she said, "You don't understand,
> I'm a total wreck," I said "How so?",
> she said "You wouldn't understand," I said ,
> "What?"

> Then, the way you sometimes double down on ten against
> a dealer ace but you can feel, you can almost smell a
> four coming, the room seems to freeze as she nails my
> eyes with a laser beam stare and says, "Would you
> f___ around on me?"

> The girlfriends are also giving me the hard stare.
> "No, of course not," I say, simultaneously
> thinking, "You'd never go out with me anyway, I'm
> not hunky and we all know that's your only criterion,
> and I'm old, and you're not my type anyway, I know you
> think you're attractive and sculpted, but to me that
> style is so forced and desperate, and also I'm
> extremely married, and your having been in "The
> affection business" is so sad and a horrible
> turn-off, and the count is plus four, time to chunk a
> bet out there."

> The melodrama played itself out to the dreary end as
> she told the whole story, to wit she was in love and
> yet he "f___ed around on her" and she just
> found out today (he told her) and she is so sad.

> Bowed out after my session was over, told her
> girlfriends to not let her do anything stupid, and
> headed to the restroom to wash up. Preoccupied and a
> little weary, I headed into the restroom. Fortunately,
> the right side of my brain was unobtrusively spinning
> along in fourth gear, and it started reading the sign
> about how alcohol consumption can be a bad idea during
> pregnancy, and when I saw the kotex machine I wheeled
> and bolted out the door. Yikes! "Also,
> lady," I thought, in my on-going mental
> conversation "I'm not your type, I'm too
> stoopid!" LOL [-$150]

> Walking out through the dark parking lot, I kept
> looking over my shoulder, feeling hinky, with a
> physical sense of dread from the imagined scenario of
> "Hot Jilted Chick in Black Camaro Runs Down
> Insensitive Jerk in Casino Parking Lot in Revenge Plot
> Against Men". I know, I know, but hey, it's four
> o'clock in the morning. Besides, weirder things have
> happened.

> Walked down Trop Ave, which was still radiating heat
> from the previous daytime burn, but almost devoid of
> cars to the shabby:

> WiWiWe 2D, h17, DAS, Pen looked to be about 1.0, but I
> didn't stay to play, with one player at their one
> table with one pit boss and two security guards
> leaning on the table. (Hey, OUCHEZ, was that you? LOL)
> The whole scene felt reminiscent of the G SPIKE on a
> Tuesday night.

> Walked over the bridge above I-15, an impressive river
> of steel and light in the warm pre-dawn dark. Waded
> through the ankle-deep rubbish under the off ramp,
> past the people sleeping at the tops of the concrete
> embankments under the bridge girders, past the
> unadorned backside of the EXCAL, and into the rackety:

> NYNY 6D $10, h17, das, surr, Pen ; 3.0 hr; Spread
> 1:10, but the count stayed so flat or negative, I
> never got there; Occasional heavy scrutiny from the
> pit; 1-3 players drifting in & out, mostly seemed
> to be from the night before, incompetent, skinny
> 18-year olds with a lot of jack, but I got to play
> heads up for over an hour (cumulatively); Dealers got
> a lot of two-card 20s. At one point was down over
> $600, but ended up: [-$118]

> Bkfst

> Rode the 301 down the Strip, but got off at Riviera
> & got a view of the massively boring WYN (it's
> brown), walked over to Paradise (ludicrously
> misnamed), hit the day shift at the temple-motif:

> HIL 6D $5, h17, das, surr; Pen 1.3, very fast dealers,
> spread 1:16; 2 players for most of the time, occ. went
> to 3. (Where is everybody? Working? On Hoover Dam
> tours?)
> Extremely friendly dealers and pit, very gracious, but
> also very watchful. [+$176]

> Walked over to look at the massive, deserted
> convention center across its expansive parking lot
> that is reminiscent of the Place de la Concorde but
> without the guillotine. Walking under the massive
> structure of the new tram, I was made a bit nervous by
> the sight of all the leaked/dripped oil & grease
> on the sidewalk below the elevated tracks. Bus ride
> back downtown; meant to get off at the Greyhound
> station, but instead rode to the next stop, where I
> had a front row seat for an altercation in the
> stinking alley behind La Bayou, guys shoving &
> punching & choking each other, banging into
> overflowing dumpsters and screaming? (Ok, Santa,
> forget the screamer).

> PLA 2D $5, s17, das, Pen 0.6 (slot), 1.0 hr; 1-3
> players, spread $10:80 except when being closely
> watched (dropped back to $10:50), and also dropped
> back to $5 at TC = -2 or less; Very friendly dealers
> and pit, but again, overly attentive, watching,
> watching? [+$144]

> MSS 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.7, 0.75 hr; 3 players, suddenly
> jumped to 6, at which point I left. (Hoover Dam tour
> must be over, all these people came flooding in at
> once.) Spread 1:10; The mentally challenged, scowling
> dealer called "Czechs play" at $40 bets, and
> shuffled up if I had $50 out there. After I colored
> up, I stayed to watch the tourists play for the
> remainder of my hour. Observed one upper-middle age
> midwestern vacationer type hit a soft 20. [-$280]

> LVC 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 1.0 hr, 3 players for 1st
> half, heads up for the 2nd (everybody ran outside to
> see the light show), spread 1:8 under only occasional
> scrutiny. [+$10]

> Fell into bed worn out at 10 pm, slept dreamless.

> DAY 5

> Didn't wake until 7:00 am, a whole hour before the
> alarm, lap of luxury.
> Leisurely breakfast, then out into the heat of day, in
> amongst the mentally retarded folks hanging out by The
> Flame, & back into the:

> 4Q 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 0.5 hr, (departed when the
> table went from 3 players to five); Spread 1:6. [+$37]

> PLA 2D $5, s17, das; Pen 0.6, 1.25 hr, 2-3 players,
> spread 1:10; Dealer got boo-coo 20s & 21s in the
> first half hour; [+$205]

> 4Q 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.8, 1.0 hr, 1-3 players, spread
> $10:80. [+$77]

> Back to the room to shower off all the cigarette smoke
> & change clothes for the trip home, then checked
> out.

> In early-afternoon, caught the extremely packed 109
> bus back out to the airport, clutching my matched
> luggage set (plastic grocery bags) in sweaty hands. AC
> on the bus was blown, so it got pretty steamy &
> stinky. Several times, the driver had to get up out of
> his seat and mash us all to the back of the bus using
> a 1X12 oak plank like a gladiator's shield to fit
> everybody on.

> It finally occurred to me who it is in the touristy
> part of this town who does not have that grasping
> Vegas demeanor, the air of desperation that permeates
> this place: the CAT drivers. They are serene.
> Implacable, almost Buddha-like. Jolly without being
> silly. Solid. Admirable. They are the gunny sergeants
> in a town full of raw recruits and chicken-sh__
> officers.

> So, ended up, +$512 (+$84 after expenses).

> A few general conclusions:

> 1. It was a singularly flat-line trip, money-wise,
> with unusually small peaks and valleys. The beast of
> Variance sleeps.

> 2. The dealers at a number of places had amazing runs
> of 20's & 21's, while I mostly mooched along with
> 14's & 15's. What a grind.

> 3. Pit crew in many places were overly diligent &
> watchful. For a red-chipper such as myself, this is
> quite a change from past days. They put a ding in my
> bet spread more than once, at least during the times
> they were actually standing right over me like a
> vulture, sometimes for as long as ten minutes at a
> stretch. Some of them were so bored that I was
> apparently the most interesting thing happening, which
> is truly frightening.

> 4. On the other hand, the crew at several places
> couldn't seem to care less.

> 5. At least half of the PCs I ran up against were very
> friendly, as were nearly all of the dealers. One guy,
> in a red-chip sweat-box from hell said, "Good
> luck now, win lots of money, unless you're counting
> cards. We don't want people here winning too much
> money." We both laughed. Spread 1:8 LOL.

> 6. The diachronous feel of this town is getting worse
> and worse.

> Airport was relatively un-crowded in the early
> afternoon. Worked on my paperwork for about an hour.
> Spent some time watching people handling their
> thousands of pounds of luggage. What the hell do they
> have in there?? They can't all be anvil salesmen.

> Pleasant flight, on time, home well before midnight.
> Soft, glowing golden new moon, on the wax, hanging low
> above the rolling wooded hills to the west. Quiet,
> except for the crickets. Only a few people up and
> about at this time of day in this part of the world.
> Glad to be climbing the steps to the front porch,
> enveloped in clouds of roses and cherry tomatoes, back
> home?

[Sonny]

> 4Q 1D, $5, h17, das: 0.0 hr, table full. What the hell
> is wrong with these people, playing cards in the
> middle of the night?

Haaa! I've caught myself saying that many times!

Magnificent report. Lost of good info.

-Sonny-

[Bob]

Fine report, full of great info and laughs. I've had some very similar trips.

> Ran all over town to scout around, (as opposed to
> previous trips hitting only a very short list of top
> targets on multiple shifts).

> Five days, Sunday through Thursday, played in 22
> different casinos. Hit a couple of them twice or more
> (on different shifts) to see if conditions varied, for
> a total of 32 hours of actual play. In the couple of
> months since my last trip, some changes were apparent.
> 1D appears to be on the rebound. Late Surrender is
> spreading. 6:5, which had blossomed like a fungus a
> couple of years ago seems to be on the wane. And most
> significantly, afternoon and early evening crowds were
> surprisingly thin.

> Some of my previously favorite venues didn't get onto
> the short list this time. Also, at a couple of
> locales, Pen seemed to be better than that reported in
> CBJN and proved to be worth pursuing.

> The biggest change over time is that nearly the entire
> town has gotten sweatier for the red-chip player.
> (Reminds me of the old joke, "I wanted a screamer
> for Christmas, but all I got was a sweater.")

> Played from about 1:00 am to 4:00 pm every day, but
> with some minor exceptions, (due to adapting to flight
> times in & out). Tables were still crowded at 1:00
> am, but the places I went to typically detumesced by
> about 2:00 or 3:00 am.

> Played 1.0 hours on 1D and 2D, 3.0 hours on 6D. If I
> caught a shift change, I might extend my stay
> slightly.

> Planned this trip using CBJN, first excising all of
> the 6:5, fake21, Spanish 21, and csm games, then
> likewise cut $100 minimum and up games (I'm a
> low-roller). Although a couple of $25 min games made
> the first cut of my screening, they typically have
> relatively low SCORES at my bankroll level. A couple
> of these look pretty enticing on paper, if you've got
> the BR. Screened the remaining games by Pen, retaining
> games that met the following criteria: 1D = 0.5 or
> less; 2D = 0.8 or less; 6D =1.5 or less. (Penetration
> numbers are as reported in CBJN, namely number of
> decks remaining unused at time of shuffle.) Then
> sorted these games by SCORE, then cut out several of
> these for various other reasons.

> Air fare was $310. Total in-town expenses were
> $118.00, as follows: hotel for four nights (LL
> downtown) was $84 ($21 bucks a night, via Travelaxe);
> Bus fares all over town: $10.50 (no car); Misc. tips
> $22.00; Iron rations (two Snickers bars) $1.50. Got
> comped for four different buffets, where I ate enough
> that I only had to eat once a day. That's it. Would
> have spent more on gambling knick-knacks, but the gift
> shop at the EL C is closed for remodeling.

> Enjoyed the LL, where I have often stayed in the past
> ? very quiet compared to other LV hotels, squeaky
> clean, pleasant. I enjoy the travertine bathroom d?cor
> you get in some rooms.

> Last time I was in town I stayed at the LUZOR
> ("the x is pronounced like a z, as in
> xylophone"), and although it was kind of fun, it
> was too expensive (even using Travelaxe), too noisy,
> too time consuming walking through that massive joint
> to get anywhere, and poorly connected to the mass
> transit system, such that time was wasted every day
> when either heading out to work or coming back. After
> about two days the cuteness wore off and started to
> get on my nerves, which was only partly offset by the
> neat soaps and shampoos & crap. Also, when you
> crawl out of bed when the alarm clock goes off at 2:00
> am, and you look out the window to gaze at the
> scenery, and mostly all you see is the grotesque
> reflection of the top of your head in the slanted
> windows, that's a bit too surrealistic for me. Also,
> their bj game has deteriorated in just the short time
> since I was there last. (They do have a great sports
> book.)

> LL on the other hand, is quiet, plain, and cheap, and
> also extremely handy for either making your downtown
> rounds or connecting to the bus system. One minor
> drawback, learned the hard way, is that with my
> unusual sleep schedule, it was a mistake to try to
> fall asleep during the thumping noise of the Fremont
> Street Experience, which at times carries the three
> blocks at an annoying level, so it paid dividends to
> rearrange the schedule to be already asleep before it
> started, and these afternoons I slept through it, no
> problem. Also, based on past stays, I would not
> recommend a room on the Third Street side, as there is
> a wankercycle bar there with its associated and
> inevitable identity-crisis engine revving in the
> middle of the night. This time I remembered to request
> a room on the east side of the East Tower. The great
> view of the Boulder Highway & mountains beyond, a
> part of the Strip, the Gold Spike, and the swarms of
> homeless people sleeping in the park all combine to
> help keep you grounded in reality.

> $5,000 trip bankroll, stuffed into extra pockets sewn
> onto the insides of my shirt tails.

> DAY 1

> On-time flight arrived in late morning. Caught the
> crowded 108 bus after a one minute wait, check-in at
> the LL took about two minutes, for a total transit
> time of less than fifty minutes from jetway to hotel
> room.

> Moving kinda slow in the mid-day oven, mentally
> getting geared up, headed out into the relatively
> un-crowded downtown:

> 4Q 1D $5 minimum, h17, das; 0.0 Hour: table was full,
> with people standing behind waiting to play. Glanced
> across the room to a couple of empty 2D tables:

> 4Q 2D, $5, h17, das; Pen. 0.7 decks remaining below
> cut card; 1.0 Hr; Played heads up for the whole hour;
> Spread $10-80, but in low counts dropped back to $5,
> for an effective spread of between 1:8 and 1:16.
> [-$50].

> PLA 2D, $5, s17, das; Pen 0.7; 1.0 Hr; 2-4 Players at
> various times throughout the hour; Spread $10-80.
> [+$202]

> Went for a walk around downtown in the blistering
> heat. Did some people-watching at the Greyhound
> Station, which was mobbed. People in this town have a
> restless, edgy look. Can't think of the right word for
> it, but you see it a lot in LV, not only at the bus
> station, but in buffet lines, in high-roller rooms on
> the south Strip, in the pits, and everywhere in the
> packed ranks of slot players. Found a crack pipe on
> Main St. Crushed it under my heel in the gutter.
> Already this town is starting to piss me off. Then
> back to the hotel to sleep by about 7 pm, alarm set
> for 1:40 am to transition to graveyard.

> DAY 2

> Woke up two minutes before the alarm, feeling fired
> up. Shower, ? cup of black, bitter, in-room hotel
> coffee, & head out onto the still-warm, deserted
> pavement. Saw a grand total of two persons on the
> short walk over to the:

> 4Q 1D, $5, h17, das: 0.0 hr, table full. What the hell
> is wrong with these people, playing cards in the
> middle of the night?

> BIN 1D, $10, h17 (no das), 1.0 Hr; Pen 4 rounds to
> three players for the first half hour, then three
> rounds to four players for the 2nd half; Spread 1:5; [
> -$252]

> 4Q 1D, $5, h17 das, Pen 0.5 (using cut card); 1.0
> Hour; Heads up for half the hour, three players for
> other half ; Spread 1:6 [-$15]

> PLA 2D, $5, s17, das, Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, heads up for
> half, two other players joined for the 2nd half;
> Spread $10:50, (but dropped back to $5 at TC = -2 for
> a 1:10 spread), except for the periods when the junior
> PC was looking directly at me (a solid ten minutes at
> the start of my gig and for a couple minutes later in
> the hour), which put a regrettable ding in my bet
> ramp. [-$191]

> LV CLUB 2D, $5, Pen 0.4, 1.0 Hr., heads up the whole
> hour, Spread 1:8 and on one high count 1:12; Got all
> the 20s & bj's, whooping & hollering. [+$652]

> GN 2D, $5, Pen 0.8 (slot on side of shoe), 1.5 Hr, 1-3
> players at various times, spread $10:80, basically
> unobserved and unmolested, as I was the low rolling
> trash in a herd of silver-haired retired executive
> types and their coifed and bejewelled wives betting
> greens, and also the PCs were too busy socializing
> with each other to watch; Dropped to $5 at TC = -2 or
> less; When table min bumped to $10, they let me
> continue playing $5. [+$38]

> Took a break to eat breakfast

> MSS 2D, $5, h17, No das, Pen 0.7, 1.0 Hr, but started
> to feel crowded as we gradually went from 3-5 players,
> Spread $10 to $80, dropped to $5 at TC = ?2 or less.
> Minimal sweat (occasional scrutiny). [+$202]

> 4Q 1D, $5, Pen RO6, Left after 0.9 hr when we went
> from 3 to 6 players, even though they were still
> dealing two rounds to the six of us; Spread $10 to
> $60, but dropped back to $5 at TC = -4, but was forced
> to limit spread to $20 during one high count due to an
> aggressive PC breathing down my neck and earning his
> pay. I mean, he was right in my face. I could count
> his beard stubbles. [+$15]

> EL C 1D, $10 Pen 0.5, 1.0 Hr, 1-2 players (mostly
> heads up), Spread 1:5 under heavy scrutiny from a very
> serious & energetic pop-pop-pop PC. Dealer was
> extremely friendly when we were heads up, but she
> would clam when another player would stop by. This
> happened twice: two different big ugly guys that would
> play 4 or 5 hands, lose 'em all. Cowboy-type guy (hat
> and all) drifted off with an ironic expression after
> blowing $200; football player-type slammed his fist on
> the table & stormed off after dropping $100. As
> far as I could tell, he had only a two-word
> vocabulary, & both of them were "F---".

> The biggest news: The old El C smell is gone. Could'a
> knocked me over with a feather. At this point in
> history, even the EM GEE EM smells worse. [-$90]

> How time flies, already past my bedtime. The heat
> outside is so thick you can knock chunks of it off
> with a tire iron. Wandered back to the LL, sticking to
> the shade & dodging irritated drivers around the
> construction zone across the street from the EL C.

> Tossed and turned for a good 30 seconds, asleep by
> 6:30 pm.

> DAY 3

> Woke up two minutes before the alarm at 12:30 am;
> shower, ? cup of coffee & head out into the night,
> at this point feeling very in the swing of things.
> Lively crowds of tourists, drunks, locals, &
> construction workers packed the 109 bus.

> HIL 6D $5, h17, das, late surrender, Pen 1.0 ? 1.4,
> 3.0 hours; spread 1:16, 1-4 players; Heads up for the
> 1st hour. Then was joined by some of the techie crew
> & musicians from the mega- act of the singer who
> has a gig there. I forget his name, but I think he
> used to be with the Rolling Stones. Manfred something?
> Anyway, they said he is old but still very popular, I
> quote: "Whatever he had, he still has it."
> That was so profound it brought tears to my eyes. They
> were a jolly and pleasant bunch of kids, but I cringed
> when they admitted they're mostly blowing their per
> diem gambling, and they obviously do not know even
> basic strategy. Dealers were all extremely friendly.
> [+$248]

> Back on the bus to:

> TERBL 2D, $10, h17, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, but under
> heavy scrutiny from the pit dropped back to 1:6 for a
> while. Traditionally sweaty pit was somewhat
> distracted by three drunk gang members that swaggered
> in dressed all in black with their black baseball caps
> on backwards. Clueless, but chunking out three hundred
> dollar bets. They ought to pawn some of their gold
> chains and buy some soap. Talk about sweaty pits. Too
> bad the smell filled the room, because I had just
> started enjoying the greasy food smell piped in from
> the kitchen as breakfast time heated up. Fortunately
> they settled their whooping and hollering stinky asses
> at the next table, so I had the table to myself after
> the drunk guy talking to himself left. (He mostly
> talked about how he was a drunk.) [-$185]

> Walked over to Swenson St. in the dawn to catch the
> 109 bus back downtown (40 minute wait!).

> Breakfast

> BIN 2D $10, h17; 1.25 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8, 3-4
> players. Very fast dealers. [-$65]

> GN 2D $10, h17, no das; 1.0 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8,
> 4-5 players; A retired executive (you could tell
> because he had those clumsy square eyeglasses that you
> used to see on NASA engineers back in the '60s, and
> the executive hairstyle, the cranky demeanor, and also
> he constantly barked orders at the cards, the dealer,
> and the cocktail waitress,) hit a soft 20 twice and
> busted. I thought his wife, who almost knew BS, was
> going to kill him. After that, red-faced, he always
> showed her his cards. Next step, diapers. [-$235]

> 4Q 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread 1:8 except
> for a period of 1:6 under close scrutiny by the pit
> (in between their joking around with each other, v.
> funny), 1-4 players (tourists popping in and out
> constantly) [+$137]

> Trudged back to the LL, on the hot pavement, very
> tired, dropped into bed, felt like I was sinking about
> two feet down into the soft bed & pillows, asleep
> by 6:00 pm.

> DAY 4

> Woke up one minute before the alarm at 12:30 am;
> shower, ? cup of coffee & head out again.
> Tourists, drunks, & boozy college kids on the 301
> bus, all talking in words of one syllable or less,
> mostly very loudly. ("I got to pee!"
> "Get off, get off!" "I got to
> pee!" "Get off"! "Oh, my
> head!" "You suck! giggle, giggle!") One
> kid thought the Macs in mid-Strip was called the
> "Behind the Stairs McDonalds", & the
> whole gang thought this was a crazy name and very
> hilarious. Transferred to the 201 beneath the
> obnoxious glaring and flashing electronic billboards
> of the EM GEE EM, NYNY, EXCAL, listened to the endless
> video loop of Gilda what's-her face tell the same
> feeble joke over & over, while waiting at the
> packed bus stop with a lot of smelly people. Like
> being in hell without the instruction manual.

> ORL 2D $5, h17, das, 1.5 hr, Pen 0.8; Spread $10:80,
> but dropped back to $5 on TC = -2 or less; Pit seemed
> very attentive, but they were apparently attending to
> somebody else, as I felt I got very little sweat. Two
> fellow players & a watcher were hard-boiled edgy
> "Chicks" with little sharp teeth, sculpted
> hair, glossy nails, multiple chi-chi cocktails, and
> exaggerated forms fit into tight spangly, low-cut
> dresses. All had several pounds of eye makeup. One of
> them should have tried the waterproof variety, as hers
> was streaked. She repeatedly apologized for
> "playing poorly" at third base (none of them
> knew much about blackjack). I said "No need to
> apologize," she said, "You don't understand,
> I'm a total wreck," I said "How so?",
> she said "You wouldn't understand," I said ,
> "What?"

> Then, the way you sometimes double down on ten against
> a dealer ace but you can feel, you can almost smell a
> four coming, the room seems to freeze as she nails my
> eyes with a laser beam stare and says, "Would you
> f___ around on me?"

> The girlfriends are also giving me the hard stare.
> "No, of course not," I say, simultaneously
> thinking, "You'd never go out with me anyway, I'm
> not hunky and we all know that's your only criterion,
> and I'm old, and you're not my type anyway, I know you
> think you're attractive and sculpted, but to me that
> style is so forced and desperate, and also I'm
> extremely married, and your having been in "The
> affection business" is so sad and a horrible
> turn-off, and the count is plus four, time to chunk a
> bet out there."

> The melodrama played itself out to the dreary end as
> she told the whole story, to wit she was in love and
> yet he "f___ed around on her" and she just
> found out today (he told her) and she is so sad.

> Bowed out after my session was over, told her
> girlfriends to not let her do anything stupid, and
> headed to the restroom to wash up. Preoccupied and a
> little weary, I headed into the restroom. Fortunately,
> the right side of my brain was unobtrusively spinning
> along in fourth gear, and it started reading the sign
> about how alcohol consumption can be a bad idea during
> pregnancy, and when I saw the kotex machine I wheeled
> and bolted out the door. Yikes! "Also,
> lady," I thought, in my on-going mental
> conversation "I'm not your type, I'm too
> stoopid!" LOL [-$150]

> Walking out through the dark parking lot, I kept
> looking over my shoulder, feeling hinky, with a
> physical sense of dread from the imagined scenario of
> "Hot Jilted Chick in Black Camaro Runs Down
> Insensitive Jerk in Casino Parking Lot in Revenge Plot
> Against Men". I know, I know, but hey, it's four
> o'clock in the morning. Besides, weirder things have
> happened.

> Walked down Trop Ave, which was still radiating heat
> from the previous daytime burn, but almost devoid of
> cars to the shabby:

> WiWiWe 2D, h17, DAS, Pen looked to be about 1.0, but I
> didn't stay to play, with one player at their one
> table with one pit boss and two security guards
> leaning on the table. (Hey, OUCHEZ, was that you? LOL)
> The whole scene felt reminiscent of the G SPIKE on a
> Tuesday night.

> Walked over the bridge above I-15, an impressive river
> of steel and light in the warm pre-dawn dark. Waded
> through the ankle-deep rubbish under the off ramp,
> past the people sleeping at the tops of the concrete
> embankments under the bridge girders, past the
> unadorned backside of the EXCAL, and into the rackety:

> NYNY 6D $10, h17, das, surr, Pen ; 3.0 hr; Spread
> 1:10, but the count stayed so flat or negative, I
> never got there; Occasional heavy scrutiny from the
> pit; 1-3 players drifting in & out, mostly seemed
> to be from the night before, incompetent, skinny
> 18-year olds with a lot of jack, but I got to play
> heads up for over an hour (cumulatively); Dealers got
> a lot of two-card 20s. At one point was down over
> $600, but ended up: [-$118]

> Bkfst

> Rode the 301 down the Strip, but got off at Riviera
> & got a view of the massively boring WYN (it's
> brown), walked over to Paradise (ludicrously
> misnamed), hit the day shift at the temple-motif:

> HIL 6D $5, h17, das, surr; Pen 1.3, very fast dealers,
> spread 1:16; 2 players for most of the time, occ. went
> to 3. (Where is everybody? Working? On Hoover Dam
> tours?)
> Extremely friendly dealers and pit, very gracious, but
> also very watchful. [+$176]

> Walked over to look at the massive, deserted
> convention center across its expansive parking lot
> that is reminiscent of the Place de la Concorde but
> without the guillotine. Walking under the massive
> structure of the new tram, I was made a bit nervous by
> the sight of all the leaked/dripped oil & grease
> on the sidewalk below the elevated tracks. Bus ride
> back downtown; meant to get off at the Greyhound
> station, but instead rode to the next stop, where I
> had a front row seat for an altercation in the
> stinking alley behind La Bayou, guys shoving &
> punching & choking each other, banging into
> overflowing dumpsters and screaming? (Ok, Santa,
> forget the screamer).

> PLA 2D $5, s17, das, Pen 0.6 (slot), 1.0 hr; 1-3
> players, spread $10:80 except when being closely
> watched (dropped back to $10:50), and also dropped
> back to $5 at TC = -2 or less; Very friendly dealers
> and pit, but again, overly attentive, watching,
> watching? [+$144]

> MSS 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.7, 0.75 hr; 3 players, suddenly
> jumped to 6, at which point I left. (Hoover Dam tour
> must be over, all these people came flooding in at
> once.) Spread 1:10; The mentally challenged, scowling
> dealer called "Czechs play" at $40 bets, and
> shuffled up if I had $50 out there. After I colored
> up, I stayed to watch the tourists play for the
> remainder of my hour. Observed one upper-middle age
> midwestern vacationer type hit a soft 20. [-$280]

> LVC 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 1.0 hr, 3 players for 1st
> half, heads up for the 2nd (everybody ran outside to
> see the light show), spread 1:8 under only occasional
> scrutiny. [+$10]

> Fell into bed worn out at 10 pm, slept dreamless.

> DAY 5

> Didn't wake until 7:00 am, a whole hour before the
> alarm, lap of luxury.
> Leisurely breakfast, then out into the heat of day, in
> amongst the mentally retarded folks hanging out by The
> Flame, & back into the:

> 4Q 1D $5, h17; Pen RO6, 0.5 hr, (departed when the
> table went from 3 players to five); Spread 1:6. [+$37]

> PLA 2D $5, s17, das; Pen 0.6, 1.25 hr, 2-3 players,
> spread 1:10; Dealer got boo-coo 20s & 21s in the
> first half hour; [+$205]

> 4Q 2D $5, h17, Pen 0.8, 1.0 hr, 1-3 players, spread
> $10:80. [+$77]

> Back to the room to shower off all the cigarette smoke
> & change clothes for the trip home, then checked
> out.

> In early-afternoon, caught the extremely packed 109
> bus back out to the airport, clutching my matched
> luggage set (plastic grocery bags) in sweaty hands. AC
> on the bus was blown, so it got pretty steamy &
> stinky. Several times, the driver had to get up out of
> his seat and mash us all to the back of the bus using
> a 1X12 oak plank like a gladiator's shield to fit
> everybody on.

> It finally occurred to me who it is in the touristy
> part of this town who does not have that grasping
> Vegas demeanor, the air of desperation that permeates
> this place: the CAT drivers. They are serene.
> Implacable, almost Buddha-like. Jolly without being
> silly. Solid. Admirable. They are the gunny sergeants
> in a town full of raw recruits and chicken-sh__
> officers.

> So, ended up, +$512 (+$84 after expenses).

> A few general conclusions:

> 1. It was a singularly flat-line trip, money-wise,
> with unusually small peaks and valleys. The beast of
> Variance sleeps.

> 2. The dealers at a number of places had amazing runs
> of 20's & 21's, while I mostly mooched along with
> 14's & 15's. What a grind.

> 3. Pit crew in many places were overly diligent &
> watchful. For a red-chipper such as myself, this is
> quite a change from past days. They put a ding in my
> bet spread more than once, at least during the times
> they were actually standing right over me like a
> vulture, sometimes for as long as ten minutes at a
> stretch. Some of them were so bored that I was
> apparently the most interesting thing happening, which
> is truly frightening.

> 4. On the other hand, the crew at several places
> couldn't seem to care less.

> 5. At least half of the PCs I ran up against were very
> friendly, as were nearly all of the dealers. One guy,
> in a red-chip sweat-box from hell said, "Good
> luck now, win lots of money, unless you're counting
> cards. We don't want people here winning too much
> money." We both laughed. Spread 1:8 LOL.

> 6. The diachronous feel of this town is getting worse
> and worse.

> Airport was relatively un-crowded in the early
> afternoon. Worked on my paperwork for about an hour.
> Spent some time watching people handling their
> thousands of pounds of luggage. What the hell do they
> have in there?? They can't all be anvil salesmen.

> Pleasant flight, on time, home well before midnight.
> Soft, glowing golden new moon, on the wax, hanging low
> above the rolling wooded hills to the west. Quiet,
> except for the crickets. Only a few people up and
> about at this time of day in this part of the world.
> Glad to be climbing the steps to the front porch,
> enveloped in clouds of roses and cherry tomatoes, back
> home?

[Ouchez]

[Hard 8 :: ::]

another typo: LVC 2D does have das.

Thanks,

:: ::

> Nice report; couldn't read it all but will print it
> out. Enjoyable. But, the SD at 4Qs doesn't have das.

> Greasy John