New Year's Vegas trip

[MDawg]

Okay, we got it mapped out, booked and reserved. First, T.I. will arrive in a few days from today, staying until a couple days after New Year's. In a Premier Suite (1300 S/F). Then, PALMS in a suite for a week, then Encore in a Tower Suite until mid-January.

New Year's and Consumer Electronics Show (CES) intervene, but the casinos must like us because they are letting us stay in suites, fully comp'ed, RFB status, for the entire two plus weeks.

We'll be attending both the New Year's Eve party at T.I. and the party at Wynn. To justify the Wynn event, I had to accept a stay at the Wynn, which they had initially booked practically a whole week there for us, but I cut it down to just one night, in December 31st, out January 1st. Will show up, check in, mess up the bed, turn on the Do Not Disturb sign, and let them check us out the next day. In meantime, we'll be ensconced in the large T.I. suite and just walk back and forth between T.I. and Wynn on New Year's Eve to attend both partays!

[MDawg]

My friend I met earlier this year in Vegas, the girl who lost the last 12 trips she went to Vegas, I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME, well I mentioned how I guided her to modify her Baccarat play, really all I did was analyze that she was betting too close to flat, and that she should vary her bet at least 1 - 5X instead of more or less flat betting until she was behind and then jumping the bet just to try to catch up, and also to give up on the stupid exotic bets like the Tiger 6, well...as I mentioned the last trip, which was the first trip that I guided her on, she won 19K which after I left her side she did dump 5K of it, but still going home ahead 14K winning for the first time ever after all those losers was very exciting for her.

Well...she pulled into Vegas the day before I will. She messaged me to see if I was there yet, no, not yet, tomorrow, so I asked her to keep in touch. Well, this is insane! I hope she holds on to it all. Who knows maybe she'll keep winning!

[MDawg]

Okay the joke was on me, she messaged me a bit ago wrote
"I'm totally joking"
"I only won 300 today. Should've walked when I made 1."

That's the first time she's done that.

Still, I encouraged her. That she was ahead, lost about half and then walked, that's one of the suggestions I had made to her a while back - to stop after losing half your winnings.

I've taken less than what I know she came to Vegas with, to far more than $80K, so I was inclined to believe her, but...she was joking.

More to be revealed....

[MDawg]

I just had this thought about the one night in the suite where we won't be staying, on New Year's Eve. Going to mess up the sheets and leave the Do Not Disturb light OFF - on NY's Eve the casinos always bring some gift into the room and leave it there. I have a lot of these bottles of wine crated with two Baccarat crystal goblets, but still worth receiving. One casino actually gave me a Waterford crystal clock, not bad. Where the waste of time comes in though is in having to go back up to the room at some point during the party just to check to see if the gift is there yet. Plus we're planning on dividing time between two NY Eve's parties across the street from each other. Actually my wife thinks such events are silly and doesn't even want to go, plus she thinks the typical age group is too old, but still we get to see the fireworks off the roof that one of the casinos we're staying at are launching at midnight. I don't usually gamble NY's Eve the tables are too crowded.

One thing I really like about high end casinos and high end play is the interesting people I meet. Good people, wealthy people from my peer group. Not so much the Asian Bacc. players, many of them tend to be degenerates that care only about playing, but if you get to know the people who check in to some of these top hotels on the Strip in the VIP lounges they are coming to these resorts somewhat regularly. I've gotten to know a lot of good people all around the world via casinos.

[MDawg]

Might try to post more regularly during this trip.

Been ensconced for several hours. I don't usually play the first night.

Here are some random pictures:


It's a decent suite, not the best but not bad as far as decor. 1300 square feet or so.

The closet is good, and we sad to say, haven't learned the art of traveling light and need a large closet. Many of her things don't need to be hung up and are easier to pack, but still, we need those drawers, which we haven't even started to fill yet! We do bring a lot of stuff on each trip, but then we never know how long we will stay here. I have some pressing business towards end of January so must get home by then, realistically, will be back by mid-January. Most of my business I am able to conduct remotely but, must return to reality eventually.

We turned the wall art into a fruit receptacle. We're always traveling with bottles and bottles of health drinks including Kombucha; healthful foodstuffs and drinks the hotels never seem to have.

When the bellman came he just shoved all the luggage right inside the door; this is just a few pieces of it I had already moved everything else to the closet myself. I gave him a full tip; he glanced at it and gave me a look like, well if I had known you were going to tip like that I would have brought the stuff all the way to the closet.

No biggie, like a mini TRX workout carrying suitcases?

We were actually delayed getting here. I couldn't find something that I was sure I had brought back from the last trip, but the last trip to Vegas we had arrived, unpacked, and then left the very next day for another (non-gambling, non-Vegas) trip, and it just was not where I had remembered it to be. Well I spent a good two hours looking for it, and my wife said finally, let's just go you'll find it eventually but I was half-certain that I had lost it in Vegas when, on the way out the door I asked the housekeeper to keep an eye out for it and she said, oh, I found that on the floor of your bedroom a month ago, and put it in your ____. Of course there was the why didn't you tell me, and "I forgot," but I was so happy she had found it I didn't care about any of that, the important thing was that it wasn't lost. It wasn't a watch by the way.

I hate losing things. I dislike even more having to think about that something is lost. It's not even so much about the actual loss as that the idea of losing anything seems so undisciplined.

Okay there is one thing that is annoying. We're on nearly the top floor, not exactly right above the sidewalk, and yet there is a sound like a foghorn going off somewhat regularly outside. I have not pinned this down yet. Or is it just some East Coast lean on the horn, get the buggers moving, idiot driver that is passing through on a regular basis.

[MDawg]

Paulie in Goodfellas (the book Wiseguy, not the movie) was described as someone who loved to use stolen credit cards in restaurants. The passage was something like, "he loved to pay for a lavish dinner with a stolen credit card" and "stuff that was stolen always tasted better than anything bought."

For Paulie, the best part of the night was getting over on somebody! It didn't matter that he could afford to buy the whole restaurant, he just liked getting something for free.

Similarly, comp'ed meals sometimes do taste better.

Woke up early. Not stock market early, but early for a Sunday, definitely early for a Sunday in Vegas, and definitely early for a Sunday in Vegas given how late we went to bed.

Will probably putz around for a bit then go back to sleep. Then eat something and head to the gym. Or maybe do the gym first then go back to sleep.

That fog horn sound from nearby - I am thinking it has something to do with the construction at Resorts World. Maybe something that started recently because I don't recall hearing anything from across the street in November, but maybe their glass is thicker, I dunno. After moving all our stuff into here would not want to move and I think this style of suite all face the same way so moving might not not accomplish anything. Hmm, actually the noise has stopped. All night but not all day?

[MDawg]

Yes that must be it. Construction.

Other troubles in Paradise are that the shower is stopped up, been waiting close to an hour for the guy to come up and snake it.

but he just arrived.

Also the internet wasn't connecting well, so I called and Cox boosted us to a higher tier speed free. At the end of the trip the host comps off internet charges but you still have to ask. And when you do ask asking to comp off twenty-four bucks a day for two basic devices X 11.95 each per day, is easier than asking to comp off whatever it costs for premium x 2 a day. So at the moment we have two devices running off the basic rate, but getting the premium speed. Got somethin' else for free!

Okay the repair guy just left, said "All set!"

Now we may start the day.

[MDawg]

Back from the gym. Drinking a protein shake, then I have to meet a business partner for lunch. We're buying an office building here. The escrow was extended twice by us because we didn't have all the funds, and now extended once by the owner for reasons unknown. It's a good deal I think, it was empty anchor tenant left so the price was already low and we are buying it for about 15% below listing price. More importantly, with minimal improvements we are able to rent it out such that if there were a mortgage (there won't be, all cash deal) would have positive cash flow. We have been showing it to prospective tenants during the escrow and have commitments for all of it. Hey, I never said the only reason I come to Vegas is to gamble!

My business partner says "Vegas is booming!" I'm not so sure, but this particular office building is a good deal. We plan to later build apartments on its huge parking lot; zoning will allow it. For that we will need a loan or investors.

You guys who live in Vegas, in your opinion, is it booming again?

I'd love to say that I met this business partner at the tables, but no - he's from back home, and maintains a second residence in Vegas. He does come to the tables with me occasionally and brags to all his friends about how I am always beating the hell out of the casinos. Luckily every time he has come to the tables with me I have won. As we know, it's not always that way! (see below)

As far as my friend - not so good.
Attachment 85

[MDawg]

Just got back in. Great day!

We are proceeding with the project. Hope it goes as planned, both short and long term.

Actually haven't even started playing yet.

To put it in the vernacular, I could dwell in this place! it's not just the size of the suite but that it has so many surface areas to put stuff on, vitamins, teas, fruit, even the men's bathroom has a lot of surface area

My friend (down -3K) hasn't played today either but I wanted to play where we are staying, and she wanted to go elsewhere to a casino where I do play, but will not be staying this trip. I nixed that idea.

Just going to go to dinner with the wife, and if not too tired later will play right here. I played pretty big at this casino two trips ago and didn't use a nickel of comps other than a buffet, and I flat out emailed my host before coming on this trip that I expected that all of my comps were earned up front, and he didn't say a word. I calculate that six nights in this suite at RFB even if I didn't play at all they would still owe me comps. Of course, I AM going to play, but when I "feel lucky...punk." On my time, not theirs.

[MDawg]

We drive from southern Cal to Vegas. From where we live, driving consistently maybe a bit over speed limit but not really, it's four to four and a half hours. It actually beats the airport because by the time we get to the airport, which these days you gotta arrive early to make it through TSA screening, and then arrive in Vegas and are driven to the casino, the time savings becomes something like...maybe a half hour. Yes, nothing beats arriving in a plane versus having to drive four hours, but we live about a half hour from the airport anyway, so that's an hour plus of driving no matter what.

Do not use an SUV for these trips. I'm a little paranoid of stacks of visible luggage in an SUV. We drive a brand new sedan, with all the latest safety gadgets in it, the auto braking, lane keeping assistant, blind spot detection, adaptive speed control, all that, the safety makes us feel okay about all the driving, and we put the valuable items in the locked trunk, the rest stacked across the back seats. Which - all that luggage - is another reason why we couldn't fly we'd have to pay a fortune in excess baggage/weight. Even if we had a private plane, which a family member used to have one so I am very familiar with them, not too many small reasonably priced planes could handle all this luggage plus passengers. Additionally, any pilot worth his weight will check out his plane very well before each flight both with instruments and by checking manually/visually moving parts, and all that takes TIME which in the end, detracts from the efficacy of flying versus driving, at least as far as versus a four to four and a half hour drive.

Once IN Vegas we generally have the casino drive us around, although my play rose to that level again (to the level where it is a given that they will drive us anywhere) only fairly recently. We don't save any money by having the hotel drive us around - I tip ten dollars for a drive from one end of the strip to the other, and twenty for a trip downtown, which these are about the same or even more than Uber rates. If I'm going on business, such as today, or going to buy something in a store etc. or needing to go to more than one stop, I will just take my own car, which I generally just leave in the valet. When the car is there long term and going out and back in, I'll tip them only when I pick it up, not return it, although on the first initial arrival I will give the valet who takes my keys a fiver, and on final departure I will give the valet a fiver too.


I did end up playing today (tonight). I bought in for five, ended up winning...nada. I didn't play long, a bit over an hour, double deck BJ, stand 17, I bet minimum 100 (although, funnee, I did bet 50 one hand, which was the table minimum on the ONE hand all night that dealer got a blackjack), max 1000. I had the two green chips from the prior hand where I won a BJ with 100.

I counted the deck perfectly, I tracked the flow perfectly, but things just weren't going my way. Hands where I jumped the bet to 1000 and was dealt say, face nine, and dealer had an eight up, she'd turn over an ace. Then I'd reduce the bet drastically, even though the count was about the same (but the flow had altered, which did justify at least some reduction), and I'd LOSE the next hand. Anyway I was never up, was down as much as -2500 at one point, and came back to minus -100 twice and then plummeted soon afterwards to -1200, TWICE. So, when I finally got back to even, I quit. I was just putting in face time anyway, I am generally not a night time player I prefer playing during the day. I've been up since early working on minimal sleep from last night and never did go back to sleep or take a nap today.

My buddy, the one who LIVES at the casino across the street in the big suite came over as I was playing DD at high limit. I'd forgotten that I had mentioned to him via text earlier that I might be playing there at such and such time, which actually it was by then a couple hours later than the time I had mentioned.

He's crazy. He pulled up in one of those electric disabled person vehicles. A bright red one. When I saw him I started to say, Oh no, what happened but then when he crawled out with a big grin on his face, I knew he was fine. I didn't get into the, hey that cart is for the DISABLED you shouldn't be misusing it, but anyway, he had rented it from the casino, charged it to his room, and now here he was driving it right into the high limit pit practically crashing into the BJ table chairs.

The pit boss started to tell him that he'd have to park it someplace else, but when he and the shift manager, who had come over to say Hi and wish me Happy New Year realized that he was with me, they told him that he could leave it there as long as he at least shoved it more against the high limit room barrier to allow people to pass by behind the table chairs.

He played for a while, mostly lost, then tried to get me to go play "Pinball." I kept thinking he was talking about some kid's arcade game - visions of the underground one at Harvey's Lake Tahoe dancing through my head - until he explained that no, this is a slots game.

SLOTS. I said to him. Those are horrible odds. Why you wanna play slots?

But he kept insisting that he had been having luck with these, and he got up and went over to some machine, telling me he'd come back over to say Goodbye on the way out.

About a minute later I got back to even, colored up 5000, decided to just walk with it for tomorrow's play

and walked over to where he was JUST AS he hit a $2500. jackpot, with only, I think it was twenty five bucks in the machine, or on that spin. He hadn't even been playing more than a few minutes.

He didn't even have a valid ID with him, expired only, but they found him in their player card system and eventually handed him the cash with no deduction. He dumped a couple hunny more into the (nowadays, no armed) bandit, and then got back on his motorized disabled person's machine, and headed back out to go across the street. He is REALLY crazy. Before he power scootered back out of the casino, he actually called his hotel and asked them to come pick him up.

What, you're going to just LEAVE that cart here?

I don't care, was all he had to say on that subject.

He didn't follow through on that notion only because the casino told him that it would be a while before they could make it over.

The attendants were really excited for him, told him that he'd now be having a very happy New Year, but he mumbled something about Sure, I already lost two million - but that's actually crap, I think it's more like a half a million that he's dumped, and besides, these two ladies were so genuinely excited for him, I'm glad they didn't hear him say something so negative, I mean come on, let's keep the positivity flowing, people don't always need to be enlightened as to the status of the big bad world, let them have their happy moment.

The silver haired lady was the main attendant, the one who came to pay him.