Day 3 Monday December 16, 2002

I got up really early today at about 6:30am. This was much better than yesterday. After I got ready I decided I’d go over to the Palms. They are offering 2X points on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. I played the bank of FPDW progressives by the front door. Things went well here. I was hitting wild royals one after another. I lost track after the 6th one. I probably hit 10 more after that. I eventually pulled out 4 deuces as well. After about 4 hours and $4,500 in action I quit $300 ahead. I tried a few nickel slots after this with no luck dropping a little of my winnings. I like to play these for entertainment value and don’t expect to win.

I was hungry now and the lunch buffet was open (they shut down for 30 minutes between meals). It’s not a bad buffet for the $7 they charge although it’s not the greatest I’ve had either. Like most of the new buffets they have a number of stations with food of different nationalities.

After lunch I stopped off at the craps tables. They have $5 games with 3, 4, 5 times odds. I stuck to 3X on most bets. I started off at the table by myself and shot pretty good making a few bucks right off the bat. The table filled up shortly after this. A few shooters held the dice for a good 15 minutes. The only problem was while they were hitting a bunch of numbers, most of the time I wasn’t on them. After a few good shooters the table cooled down. One player bet $100 on a hard way and it hit a few rolls later. He made a nice $800 on this. I played at this table for about 2 hours and cashed out up $50. Not great considering I was up well over $100 at one point but at least I walked away with something.

I left the Palms and made my way over to the Orleans. I booked the special e-mail offer for 2 free nights. I‘ll be moving out of the New Frontier later tonight even though I’m still registered there.

I was looking froward to staying at the Orleans since I have never stayed here before. There was no line at the registration desk and I was on my way to the room in just a few minutes. I’m in room 1849 and that’s in the new tower. The room is really nice. It’s got a king bed with a nightstand on each side. There is also a work desk, and TV cabinet/dresser combo. Past the bed area is a small sitting area with a small couch, coffee table and chair. I have a view of the south end of the strip but, only if you twist in a certain way. Off in the distance I can see Silverton. The bathroom is split into 2 sections. One has the vanity. There are no closets but in the vanity room there is a shelf and a bar to hang things on. The bathroom is to the left of the vanity area and the toilet and shower are in here. Like the other Coast properties the shower has a small window that can be opened. I have a better view of the strip from in here than I do from the sitting area.

I didn’t bring all of my things with me because I plan on going back over to the New Frontier tonight and I’ll get the rest then. While I was getting what I brought over unpacked and taking pictures I heard a knock. I figured it wasn’t my door because who would be knocking at my door. When I heard it a second time I went to answer it. I looked through the peephole and it was someone from room service. When I let her in she asked if I was James and said Happy Birthday. She had a fruit basket with her. The card said, “Enjoy your trip” Love Mom & Dad. This was odd but apparently they must have called ahead and told someone I was here for my birthday (even though it’s not for over a week yet). It was a small assortment of crackers, grapes, oranges, apples, strawberries and bananas. There was also some Swiss Knight cheese. I thought this was pretty cool.

I took it easy for a while and then headed back up to the New Frontier. I went down to the casino to play for a while. I started off with craps and this table was nasty. Everyone that shot (including me) made a point then went out. I dropped $100 here in no time and moved on to video poker. They are offering 2X points this week (.52% cash back and comps). I also still had the coupon for the $25 bonus for a quad. I could have had 100 coupons and it wouldn’t have mattered. I played for about 2 hours and did nothing but lose and in all of that time hit zero quads. Of course as it always goes everyone that played near me was hitting them one after another. A guy next to me had so many credits the machine was spitting out the coins. I decided to quit VP and just go play the Price is Right nickel slot. I played here for almost an hour on $20. I hit the bonus rounds a few times but didn’t do to well on them. I pretty much dropped just about everything I won at the Palms earlier today but not quite.

At about 8:45pm I decided I’d go up to he room and watch WWE Monday Night Raw (I know most of you think this stuff is crap but I like it!). I stopped off at the new Little Caesars Pizza stand by the main hotel elevators. They have a football special on Sunday and Monday and you get a slice of pizza, 5 chicken wings, and a giant soda for $5. It’s not a great deal but not too bad. Of course you know I hate paying for food in Las Vegas but this was more out of convenience and wanting the food quick. In a few minutes I was on my way up to the room and when I opened the door the show was just starting.

While Raw was on I packed up my stuff and go everything ready to go. During one of the commercial breaks I took half of my junk down and after the show was over I grabbed the rest. If it weren’t for the super easy room comps for such little action I probably wouldn’t stay here as much as I do. I don’t think the rooms are as good as they can be but the place does have potential. Maybe someday (after Le Reve opens?) they’ll spruce things up a bit and make the rooms a little more upscale.

I got back to the Orleans at about 11:30pm. I valet parked because the main entrance is much closer to the elevators than using the side lot like I usually use when I come here. I got everything situated in the room and this is where we are in the report. It’s time for some TV and a quick snack and then it’s time to go to bed.

Total win/loss for the day $50
Total comps for the day $101