-
Day 110 play
I played at two separate casinos, both times I got to right around +31K and then ending up dumping it all. Just miserably bad playing. I should have just taken the profit. There were a lot of distractions and drunkenly desperate players around, although, at least at the one casino, not at my private table (played at a public table at the other casino - that was a mistake). But mostly, I lost because I kept pushing it and trying to get to over fifty K ahead and it did not happen.
I actually ended up losing! which after being ahead twice, is weak.
Time to take another long break. Not playing right, means, player fatigue has set in.
-7000
-
10 Attachment(s)
Day 111 play
I wandered into Circus Circus. Yes Circus Circus. Notice how the new Resorts World towers over the Circus, and it's not like Circus Circus is a low building - at least not low for the old days of Vegas.
Attachment 748
Attachment 749
The hot dog concession in Slots a Fun inside the Circus seems permanently closed.
Attachment 750
Pretty busy in Circus Circus actually especially on the upstairs kiddie carnival games level.
Attachment 751
Attachment 752
The rotating bar of Fear and Loathing fame is no longer rotating, but it is serving a function these days - not closed.
Attachment 753
Paid $4. for a 20 oz. bottle of water.
Attachment 754
Those veterans selling bottled water for $1. on the Strip pedestrian bridge don't seem so bad now.
Casino floor fairly busy too - table games not open 7/24.
Attachment 755
Attachment 756
Kept wandering on down the strip. Up and down actually. I wasn't going to play at all this day, but...Hit and ran a casino for quick 5 spot at a public table. First shoe I think I might�ve gotten ahead a couple K at one point but ended dead even.
Second shoe - 9 Player run right out the gate. Even betting small, and even though I stupidly cut my bet in half at about the 6 mark (but resumed pressing from there), I still cleared 5K. Just goes to show that should never second guess on a run - just press and don�t even think about it. Some other player showed up right at the end and said �You gotta take advantage of that� and pulled a 10K marker. I left though, so I�m not sure if the shoe continued in that inestimable run like fashion or just went average.
Enjoyed a comp�ed meal on the way out too. Nothing like leaving a casino you stopped into on an afterthought with five large and belly full of good (free) food.
Attachment 757
+5200
-
7 Attachment(s)
Day 112 play
From portions of my pre- and post-gaming Strip stroll, not in any particular order.
Mirage fountains. Don't really look at these when driving the Strip, have to walk right in front daytime to take them in properly.
Attachment 758
And he walked on down the hallll...I mean Strip.
Attachment 759
Attachment 760
and he came to a Door...which took him into the Bellagio. Which incidentally has a new carpet motif, different from a year or two ago anyway.
Attachment 762
Attachment 763
Attachment 764
The Petrossian Caviar bar was redone a couple of years ago too.
Attachment 765
-
10 Attachment(s)
Here is something from Caesar's you definitely cannot see from the street, not that you'd be missing much, with all the trash strewn about the statute and empty fountain.
Attachment 766
Inside Caesar's, not sure if all that blocked off area is intentional or permanent (I doubt it), because it makes for a very narrow Casino entrance
Attachment 767
Attachment 768
Attachment 769
Attachment 770
and, what someone else posted here recently is true...the Grand Baccarat table where players may handle the shoe is gone, probably for good is what one dealer I know told me.
While at Caesar's don't forget the world's largest watch store.
Attachment 771
And while strolling through these casinos in general, at the various watch shops, be mindful of the fact that it is the 220th Year of the Tourbillon,
Attachment 772
and how about these Jumpin' Jaegers? (Split second wristwatches.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwbUkA6LsfU
At Cosmo, I took a face from the ancient gallery and walked on down this hall, examining some images of old Vegas. I've seen this hallway and these images dozens of times, but why not pause to take a look again now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H93xYxWuhfk
Elvis
Attachment 773
Sinatra
Attachment 774
Britt Ekland
Attachment 775
-
6 Attachment(s)
Vikki "The Back" Dougan (I know her actually, she went to a party a few years back with us in Beverly Hills - she's about 90 years old but still looks all right. I had to help her walk but, why not, she's an old school celebrity, and she still goes out to social functions).
Attachment 776
Vampira (of Ed Wood fame, although actually, Lisa Marie was much hotter, but evidently not hot enough as Tim Burton dumped her for Helena Bonham Carter).
Attachment 777
Robby the Robot
Attachment 778
Harry BelaFonte
Attachment 779
And this is the demonstration you may hear regularly at Cosmo from the Boulevard Tower, even from the 70th floor, some guy trying to tell everyone what's what through a megaphone.
Attachment 780
Last remnants of the pre-gaming meal.
Attachment 781
And...down to business. I ended up playing just two shoes. I wasn't playing very hard, was too relaxed. I should have been playing much harder, and even the pit boss was exhorting me to bet more, as I got a 13 Bank run on my second shoe (the one I cut).
Still, barely betting and actually down before the run started, I managed to win about 6K.
+6500
And picked up some souvenirs and other consumer goods on the way back, my pockets bulging with pretty polly. In all, a relaxing, successful venture, on the Las Vegas Strip.
-
Day 113 play
This was a bad one. I failed to press when I should, and laid it out there when I should not have. I was up and down some, but never actually in the positive.
-11,500
-
Day 114 play
Played DD Blackjack only. 200 - 1000 spread. Did not play long, short session only, maybe four shuffles?
+2100
-
Day 115 play
DD blackjack only, 200 - 2000 spread. Played a couple of hours, managed to win more of my larger hands, than not.
On one of my 2000 hands I got aces against a 5 up for the dealer, split them, and got another ace but...at this particular casino's high limit DD you may not resplit aces (there is a DD in Vegas where you may resplit aces on a DD game, and the same MAY be negotiated with at least one other casino in town for a private DD game), and...wouldn't you believe it, I got another ace, and then a lousy 5 on the second ace. So I had two hands out there now, 2000 each, adding to 12 and 16. Dealer ended up four card busting though, and not even with a face card. That just goes to show, the count was great, and not even one face or ten had appeared on the prior hand, and yet...not one face or ten appeared on the next hand either! Count or anticipated sequence based on prior cards isn't everything, but I still won the hand.
+3225
-
Day 116 play
All private table, special limits. DD Blackjack.
I was varying from 200 - 1000 and I managed to get about 1500 ahead, when I started losing pretty much...every hand, and even playing small at or near my minimum bet, I was losing a fair amount. Count really didn't matter - dealer was getting all the pat hands and aces when I expected them.
After I was down a good solid ten grand or so, I kept waiting and waiting until a sequence came up with a very positive count. 5000 - lost, no stiff in sight when there should have been one (or two, for me!). Count was even more positive, so I laid out 10000. Lost again! Net hand, count was even higher, I laid out 20000 - won. This was not a progression. This was not a martingale. I should have won any one of those hands based on a lot of things, including the count. After that it was a matter of back and forth, although I kept getting stuck at ahead about 10000.
I had a couple of shuffles where I kept winning hand after hand, or at least most of the hands, and I stopped, well ahead.
Looking back, towards the beginning I kept losing all the hands I expected to win, but towards the end, I started winning most all hands, period.
+16200
-
Can you really put a price on winning sixteen large in a casino, cashing it all out into a paper bag (didn't feel like dealing with a check this time), having a host throw you a thousand dollar slip comp for their high end steakhouse, and then walking out with the takeout food and the cash, to wherever you're staying, in your fifteen foot ceilinged Vegas Rainman-esque suite?
And everyone was staring at the MDawg. Winningness exudes a powerful aura. (Then again, maybe it was just thugs wanting to rob me of the cash...which led me to go to the bathroom and put the cash in my pocket, and leave just a water bottle in the bag.)