Trip Report
December 14, 2022 – January 7, 2023
Welcome to the Christmas ~ Birthday trip report for 2022. This trip is coming in at 25 days and I'll be staying through the new year. This is also my 7* trip with Caesars Entertainment. I have lots planned from gambling to eating and everything in between. For this report I'll be trying something new and going to a bullet point method in an effort to save time but still provide the info. Everything is set and it's time to head to the airport!
Day 1
Wednesday December 14, 2022
- Picked up rental car yesterday using discount code from work
- Base Rate of $44, all in for $59
- Got assigned a Mitsubishi Outlander with 41,000 miles on it
- Got out of work at 6am after working all night and headed to Newark
- Drive to Newark typical for a weekday morning
- There was a jam up from an accident near MetLife Stadium
- Flight today is with United in first class because it's my 7* trip
- Cost for this leg of the flight is $688
- Check in and baggage drop went well
- Now that I've got CLEAR and TSA Pre Check security is so much better
- Went to the United Lounge with a one day pass from my credit card
- Boarded in Group 1 and took my seat 1A
- This plane is equipped with lie flat seats
- This is flight 1525
- Non stop with a scheduled departure at 9:59am
- Arrival at 12:50pm with a flight time of 5 hours, 50 minutes
- Actual flight to was announced to be 5:01
- Got out to the runway and the right side engine wasn't firing at full power
- Returned to gate, deplaned, waited for instruction
- Got a new plane and a new gate
- Reboarded and tried again
- 3 Hours later, we were on our way
- I pre ordered breakfast of eggs, sausage and potatoes
- Meal also came with a croissant, yogurt and fruit
- After I ate it was nap time
- We landed at 3:30pm and took the long taxi to the gate
- Baggage arrived fairly quickly
- Took the rental car shuttle to get my car at Avis
- Shuttle took forever to arrive
- Booked a mid sized with Avis again using a discount through work
- Base rate of $543 and all in for $856
- I was assigned a Chevy Malibu with 14,000 miles on it
- Made a stop at 99¢ Only for a few items to get through the next few days
- Headed to Bally's where I'll be for the next 4 nights
- This is my 7* trip
- I also have a $500 folio
- I booked an offer for
- An additional $50 in resort credit
- $100 in free play
- I also have all five of my $100 celebration dinners
- Checking was really quick in the 7* Area
- I was given room 2476A
- This is a King Studio
- King Bed with nightstands
Desk
- Dining Table with Chairs
- Small Sitting Area with Two Chairs
- Wet Bar Area with Sink and Fridge
- The bathroom has a toilet, shower stall and vanity
- There's a make up table outside the bathroom and a closet with safe
- There is a view of Virgin to the left and South Strip Straight ahead
- Got things to room and settled in
- Went over to Planet Hollywood for dinner at Gordon Ramsay Burger
- Got a Farmhouse Burger (Bacon, cheese, fried egg on Brioche Bun)
- Also got a Cali Creaming Vanilla Ale to wash it down (quite tasty)
- Got a small amount of slot play in machine hopping
- Made a small profit and took the money and ran
- Came back tot he room to relax and went to bed after an extremely long day
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $119
Total Comps For The Day = $106
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Day 2
Thursday December 15, 2022
- Slept in really late today, the long day yesterday really kicked my ass
- Had Jack in the Box for lunch – Two tacos and a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger
- Went to Palms to play
- Played 8/5 bonus ten play
- Had $20 free play plus a bonus of $10
- Today is 5x points
- Smooth run with a few pockets of nothing
- Totally whiffed on a 4 card straight flush draw
- Picked up two straight flushes later on double inside draws
- Got dealt Quad Nines
- Finished the play with a $260 profit
- Ran $30 free play through single line and turned it into $30 cash
- Cashed in $121 worth of points for free play and turned it into $121 cash
- Total win at Palms $411
- Came back to the Strip
- Played a few slots, lost a few bucks but nothing major
- Dinner was at Giada at the Cromwell
- Had bartender make a drink I had in Lake Tahoe, He got it good
- Ordered the Chicken Piccata
- Best I ever had, only complaint is it could use a little pasta under it
- Splurged for dessert and got the chocolate brownie cheesecake
- Wanted to play craps but table was packed
- Walked back over to Bally's, two tables were packed at $25 mins
- Went to Paris and it was the same
- Walked over to Planet Hollywood and it was the same
- Said eff it, came back to the room and probably saved money
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $405
Total Comps For The Day = $306
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Day 3
Friday December 16, 2022
- Slept in again
- Got ready for the day and went downtown
- Went to the Four Queens
- They've combined players clubs at Binion's and Four Queens
- New Cards are needed
- Got a T – Shirt for getting a new combined card
- Lunch at Magnolia's Veranda
- Had my usual bowl of Gumbo & order of Rye toast with iced tea
- Played $1 Single line Airport Deuces Progressive
- Progressive was at $5950
- Was fairly smooth for a while but then bled
- Took a kick to the nuts when I got dealt a natural quad
- Only hit one quint
- Only hit three wild royals
- Hit countless natural full houses
- Dropped $700 on 8k in action
- If I had been playing jacks this would have been a great day
- Switched to Penny 100 play Double-Double Bonus
- Got dealt RF4 twice and hit a total of 3 royals between both hands
- Hit 3 additional royals
- Got out of the session with 4k in action and a 50 cent win!
- Ran $400 free play through 9/6 jacks for halves
- Terrible run through only getting $300 cash out of it
- Went over to Binion's for dinner at Benny's Brews & Smokin' BBQ
- Got the Brisket Platter with 2 corn and 2 corn bread
- Also got an All Nighter from Chicago Brewing
- Prices are all up here but still a good deal compared to elsewhere
- Came back to Bally's and wrapped up the night
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $400
Total Comps For The Day = $633
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Day 4
Saturday December 17, 2022
- Started off getting my airfare reimbursement free play
- Got the supervisor who knew his job and it took 3 minutes
- Went over to Aria and tier matched my 7* card to their platinum
- Decided to seed MGM by playing slots with a $300 loss limit
- Was never down more than $50, hit multiple bonuses
- Played around 2k in action and actually won $18
- Came back to Bally's and got ready for dinner
- Dinner was set at the new Jack Binion's Steakhouse
- Also joining the party were Anne, Steve, Evelyn & Stacy
- I had a Wagyu Rib Cap
- We shared sides of asparagus, smashed potatoes, spinach & beans
- Price here are obscene
- The food was good but the service was slow, blamed on a large party
- Covered the bill with my celebration dinners and room charged the rest
- Everyone left after dinner
- I went over to Paris to run my airfare free play through the machines
- Played a variety of slots and a little VP
- Turned the $1200 reimbursement into $1065
- Not the greatest run through but a few good bonus rounds saved me
Came up to the room after I ran the free play and got ready to move tomorrow
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $18
Total Comps For The Day = $2,141
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Day 5
Sunday December 18, 2022
- Slept in today because I have a 2pm check out
- Went to front desk and found I still had over $80 in folio credits left
- Got my $100 Free Play Loaded
- Ran it through the 100 play 7/5 bonus for quarters at 5 hands
- Turned it into $100 Cash
- Had lunch at Bobby's Burgers
- Had the crunch burger (cheese, Bobby's sauce and potato chips)
- Good burger but like everything on the Strip, over priced
- Went to gift shop to burn the rest of my resort credit
- Got 2 shirts for $86, when did t shirts become $45?
- Came back to room to finish packing up and checked out
- Went over my resort credit by $1.84
- Left Bally's/Horseshoe around 2pm and headed to Wynn
- Checked in at Tower Suites (black card benefit)
- Was “upgraded” to Tower Suites in same room type
- Room 2907
- Large entryway with closet
- Bedroom area has king bed, nightstands, mini bar, dresser and TV
- Living room has L shaped couch, end table, coffee table and desk
- Views of Resorts World, Circus – Circus, Westgate and Golf Course
- Bathroom is large with dual vanities, shower stall, bath tub and toilet
- Met Anne, Jason and Evelyn for dinner at Allegro
- I got Rigatoni with bolognese and Beef Carpaccio
- Food was good and reasonably prices for the strip
- Drinks and Appetizers are out of control
- Showed everyone the room and then they left
- Hit the casino and oddly played slots for about 3 ½ hours
- Got on a good run and only lost $29 for the night on over 5k in action
- Came back to the room around 12:45am
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $71
Total Comps For The Day = $565
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Day 6
Monday December 19, 2022
- Started the day with Room Service for Breakfast
- Three Egg Omelet with Cheddar & Sausage
- Fruit Platter
- Total Rip after fees, service charges and tips but it's comped
- Left Wynn and went to airport to pick up Jimbo & Katy
- Took Jimbo to pick up his rental at a local Enterprise location
- Went to Green Valley Ranch to hang out with them and have lunch
- - Lunch was at the lucky penny and I got chicken tenders
- - Really good tenders
- Played some VP after lunch
- Played deuces 5 play for a change of pace
- Got a good amount of play but lost $300
- Left Green Valley Ranch and came back to Wynn/Encore
- Played a few slots, no luck lost about $30
- Hit the craps table for the first time this trip
- Icy table with only one good shooter
- Dropped a grand and didn't get to play very long
- Came up to room and ordered room service
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- California Sandwich (chicken, avocado, greens, tomato)
- Went to bed around midnight
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $1,319
Total Comps For The Day = $248
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Day 7
Tuesday December 20, 2022
- Slept in this morning with no plans until 11am
- Had a massage booked for 11am to use mt annual $200 spa credit
- Went to Encore Spa around 10am
- Spent the rest of the morning chilling in the wet area until my service
- Service was 80 minutes of deep tissue massage
- Beat me up a little bit but not too bad
- Used the wet areas a little more and then got cleaned up for the day
- Came to room to take it east for a while
- Got ready for dinner
- Dinner tonight was at the Wynn Buffet
- Also attending were Jimbo, Katy and Norm
- Wait time even with a reservation was too long
- Buffet is very good with a huge selection
- VERY over priced now at close to $75 per person
- After dinner everyone left
- I hit the casino
- A little slot play
- Some Craps action
- Won back a good chunk of what I lost last night on the tables
- Played more slots and won a little bit more
- Had $100, free play for my birthday, $65 from a promo and $46 in points
- Turned it into $200 cash
- Got to the room around 2am and crashed
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $1145
Total Comps For The Day = $877
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Day 8
Wednesday December 21, 2022
- Slept in as late as I could because it's check out day
- Got ready for the day and headed to the casino to see a host
- Host adjusted my account to remove the spa and dinner birthday credits
- Used some comp dollars to offset the small difference
- Left Wynn/Encore and headed out
- Stopped at CVS fro a few things
- Got a quick lunch of 2 tacos at Jack in the Box
- Arrived at Rampart around 1:30pm
- Room was ready
- Room 6247 in the Palms Tower
- One Bedroom Suite
- Small Entry way
- Power Room to the left
- Living room with couch, chairs, giant TV, dining table, wet bar
- Bedroom is large with king bed, nightstands, dresser, TV and desk
- Walk in closet
- Views of the Strip and grounds
- Bathroom has jetted tub, shower stall, dual vanity and toilet room
- Got settled in and then hit the casino
- Stopped in and saw my host
- Players club has been relocated to the end of Spa Tower hall on casino floor
- Hit the 10 plays
- Nothing of note and few quads but hit lots of “stuff” as Dee used to say
- Had a $250 win when I had to leave for dinner
- Went to Red Rock for dinner at Osteria Fiorella with Norm, Jimbo & Katy
- Had the Meatball Appetizer that was really good
- Had a Calzone for my my main that was good with a really thin crust
- Norm covered the bill with his many Stations points (Thanks Norm)
- Returned to Rampart and continued play on the 10 plays
- Used the same ticket from earlier
- Things continued to be similar to earlier with no major hits but “stuff”
- Had the meter up to $800 ($300 buy in) on just “stuff”
- Got some dealt straights/flushes & hit a reasonable number of quads
- Finally had the big hit of a dealt quad
- Dealt quad was ACES!
- Ran the meter up to over $2000 and cashed out
- Had my $300 free play for the day
- Ran it through dime deuces
- Had a good run with lots of dealt winners
- Got dealt 3 deuces and managed to get 10 quads! (ugh)
- Did hit four deuces later on
- Turned the $300 free play into $400 cash
- Was a really good day on the machines
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $2135
Total Comps For The Day = $505
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Day 9
Thursday December 22, 2022
- Started the day with some 10 play
- Was the complete opposite of last night
- Few Dealt winners and fewer quads
- Dropped $500 and went to lunch
- Had lunch at the deli
- Had the sandwich of the month
- Roast Beef Dip roast beef, au jus, fried onions, chips and a drink
- Was quite good but needed cheese
- Back to the machines again for more 10 play action after lunch
- Continued to get crushed
- Was in for $1500 when I finally hit something decent
- Dealt straight flush got me back into it
- Had a few quads and dealt full houses to help the cause
- Got out of the session even including the straight flush
- Left Rampart and went down to Bootleggers on Las Vegas Blvd.
- Anne, Jason and Evelyn took me out to dinner for my birthday
- Wouldn't let me go anywhere I had comps because they wanted to pay
- Yes, they are on crack!
- Shared a pizza and I got ravioli
- They brought me a canoli with a candle in it for my birthday on Sunday
- Came back to Rampart and hit the 10 plays again
- Got my ass handed to me again
- Just wasn't my day
- Dropped another 5 bills but got a lot of play in
- Ran my $300 free play through dime deuces again
- Turned it into $200 cash because I hit nothing better than 4 of a kind
- Came up to room around 10:30pm and wrapped up another day
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $795
Total Comps For The Day = $519
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Day 10
Friday December 22, 2022
- Was up early today and got ready
- Went downtown
- Parked at Golden Nugget (FREE with Premier card)
- Played 12 hands of 8/6 jacks on 100 play quarters
- Wild session but never down more than $250 or up more than $100
- A few dealt full houses saved the day
- Finished the play down just $35
- Turned $75 free play into $75 cash
- Had to get my play in at Binion's
- Offer of $400 free play
- They've now made the good machines $16/pt
- Opted for 75 bonus 5 play for halves
- Hit a straight flush
- Hit aces 3 times
- Lost $200 somehow (wasn't due to full house hits, that's for sure)
- Left with about 2/3 of my play run through
- Met Yahtzee Mike, Camela and Norm over at Magnolia's at the 4 Queens
- Mike and Camela just arrived a little while before
- I got the usual gumbo and rye toast
- Mike covered the bill with his comps (Thanks for breakfast Mike)
- Returned to Binion's to finish my play
- Hit aces again for the 4th time
- Hit a bunch of quads and dealt winners a well
- Finished this round of play up $400 for a $200 overall win
- Ran $400 free play through 8/5 bonus for halves
- Only got 1 flush, one straight and no full houses
- Turned the $400 into $310
- Met Mike and Camel back over at Four Queens and hung out
- Decided on Binion's BBQ
- I got the brisket again
- Mike covered the bill with his comps
- Thanks for dinner Mike
- Came back to Rampart and hit the machines
- Started off with the usual 10 plays
- Streaky
- Would do well then go into bleed mode
- A few dealt full houses and flushes help me along the way
- Dropped $300 on 9k
- Had $300 free play on my last installment
- Ran it through dime deuces
- Hit one set of deuces
- Got dealt a natural quad
- Turned it into $400 cash
- Played a few slots for fun and won a couple of bucks but not much
- Came to room fairly early but it had been a long day
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $704
Total Comps For The Day = $993
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Day 11
Saturday December 24, 2022
- Took my time getting ready this morning and then hit the casino
- Started off taking a shot with Spin Poker Deluxe
- Had lots of dealt winners including 3 full houses in 10 hands
- Key hands was dealt trip 4's and filling the quad on multiple lines
- Cashed out with a $600 win after being up $900
- Went to lunch with Jimbo, Katy and Alicia who arrived to Rampart today
- Had the Grilled Cheese with tomato soup
- Mike and Camela arrived as well
- Jimbo charged the meal to his room (thank for lunch Jimbo)
- Hit the casino again for 10 play action
- Got a lot of play but dropped $400
- Took a break up in the room for a while
- Returned to casino for another round of 10 play
- Rough start but smoothed out
- Started getting lots of dealt winners
- Hit aces a few times
- Cashed out up $200
- Went to dinner at Jade with everyone
- Ordered family style
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Beef Chow Fun
- Sesame Chicken
- Beijing Beef
- Also a few appetizers on the table
- Food was really good as usual
- Back to the casino after dinner for more video poker
- Up and down session with pockets of good and bad
- Dropped $200 and switched machines
- Dropped another $200 and quit for the day with a $1 win on video poker
- Played a few slots and lost a little but not too bad
- Gave up and came to room around 10:30pm
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $37
Total Comps For The Day = $293
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Day 12
Sunday December 25, 2022
Merry Christmas
- Today is my 52nd birthday
- Got up and started the day making holiday calls back home
- Hit the casino afterwards
- Played 10 play and lost $200
- Got lunch at the Deli
- Got the sandwich of the month again but with cheese this time
- Went to Jimbo & Katy's suite where we all met to eat
- Returned to the casino only to lose more
- Few quads or dealt winners
- Had dinner planned at the buffet with a total of 11 of us
- Buffet was a total rip tonight at $50 per person
- Nothing on it that would make it worth anywhere near that price
- Jimbo got a comp for 5 people and I got comped the rest
- Went back to casino for another round of torture
- Dropped another $500 with little play
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $1471
Total Comps For The Day = $560
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Day 13
Monday December 26, 2022
Happy Boxing Day To My Canadian Readers
- Today was moving day so got packed up and ready to go
- Met Jimbo, Katy & Alicia for lunch at Early Grey Cafe
- I got fried chicken sandwich w/ fries
- I used the $40 food credit that came with my offer
- Jimbo covered the balance with a room charge
- Headed out of Rampart and went to Henderson to drop off laundry
- Made a Quick Stop at 99¢ Only for a few things
- Went over to Virgin where I would be staying for the next 3 nights
- They sent me an offer I couldn't refuse
- $250 Free Play
- $75 Bonus Free Play
- $50 in Momentum Dollars good for $50 food
- Checked in with no problems
- Was given a Ruby Tower Grand Corner Chamber #11000
- Entry area had make up table & closets
- Living Room has two couches, coffee table, TV and dining table
- Bedroom had king bed, nightstands, chaise lounge and another TV
- Bathroom is large with soaking tub, dual vanity, walk in shower & toilet
- Corner room has views on two sides
- Views include pool area, Center Strip to Resorts World & hotel towers
- Got settled in and went to Kitchen Commons for some food
- Got the mac and cheese that was really good
- Hit the casino and made a few bucks on slots
- Decided to roll the dice and had a tremendous two rolls of 5 on a dead table
- Multiple points and numbers hit on those 2 rolls
- On the 4th roll I hit 6 points
- Hit the 6/8 so many times I lost track and pressed them way up
- Cashed out with an over $1400 win
- Ran free play through short pay video poker and turned $375 into $300
- Decided to take the money and run and came to the room at 9pm
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $1950
Total Comps For The Day = $710
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Day 14
Tuesday December 27, 2022
- Slept in and took my time getting ready today
- Left Virgin and went to pick up my laundry
- Got the laundry and went to Silverton
- Played $1 single line because 2 of the 4 spin pokers I like were offline
- The other 2 Spin Pokers were being played
- Had a hot start with 8 Full Houses and a quad in the first 1k in action
- Full Houses kept coming but quads were non existent
- The bleed started and I was back to even
- Hit a straight flush to get back into it
- More full houses and a few more quads
- Finished with 4 to a royal 4 or 5 times
- The bleed started again and I was now down over $200
- Continued to power through and hit another quad
- Hit my 20th full house and another quad and was still down
- Hit my first royal flush of the trip for $4000
- Cashed out after the hand pay and left the royal on the screen
- Excluding the royal flush I was down $85 on the play
- Thankfully I hot as many full houses as I did because quads were weak
- Went to WuHu Noodle for dinner and was told it was going to be 90 minutes
- WTF?
- Seriously? For a bowl of noodles?
- There werent many people even there
- Plenty of empty tables
- Place seemed staffed
- Opted to go to Sundance Grill instead
- 45 minute wait time here (mind you it's about 4:30pm on a Tuesday)
- Got a counter seat with no waiting
- Ordered Petite Cut Prime Rib
- Comes with Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, soup and dinner rolls
- Service was awful even sitting at the counter
- Took 30 minutes for food to come out
- Chicken Noodle Soup had no noodles in it (WTF?)
- Prime rib was good for a coffee shop
- Paid for the meal with my mailer offer of $25 in food
- Ran my free $60 free play through $1 single line and made $80
- Total win here was $3995 plus dinner
- Left Silverton and went to Paris to meet Norm
- I got tickets to see Bat Out Of Hell a show based on the music of MEATLOAF
- Bought the tickets last week using my resort credit when I stayed there
- Row EE Seats 31 & 32 (4th row center)
- Show was good but typical Rich girl wants poor boy storyline
- Glad I got to see it because it's been canceled
- Final show is January 1st
- After the show walked the casino and found Ned the Dealer
- Was good to see him and we talked when he was dealing
- Said he's a big fan of the show and saw it 17 times
- Was going again tomorrow and showed me the tickets
- Also knows the two lead characters in the show
- Came back to Virgin and Played craps
- Lost over $800 in no time
- Didn't even have fun
- Got back to room around 10pm
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $3120
Total Comps For The Day = $664
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Day 15
Wednesday December 28, 2022
- Hung out at Virgin most of the day
- Played craps, big mistake, dropped a grand with little play
- Played some slots, got killed despite some decent bonuses
- Went out to meet Anne, Steve and Evelyn at Juan's Flaming Fajitas
- Today was Evelyn's birthday
- I ordered 3 taco combination that comes with soup, rice and beans
- Came back to Virgin and lost another grand at craps
- Won a few bucks on slots but not nearly enough to ease today's pain
- Earned enough points today to hit their 3rd card level
- Also won $20 free play on some stupid play up game on the card display
- Ran it through slots and got about $8 out of it
- Came came to room to start getting ready to leave tomorrow
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $2370
Total Comps For The Day = $320
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Day 16
Thursday December 29, 2022
- Packed up and got ready to check out
- Headed south to Laughlin
- Drive was smooth sailing
- Went over to Sam's Club in Bullhead to get gas
- Line was 10 cars deep at each pump
- Eff that, don't care how cheap it is ($2.749)
- Went to Maverick and Paid $3.099 with no wait, well worth the $4
- Arrived at the Aquarius at around 1:00pm
- Staying here on an offer booked through host with $550 free play
- Tried to check in but room wasn't ready yet
- Also had 50,000 points for my birthday
- Swiped at the kiosk to print out weekly Cove/Duet food and drink vouchers
- Also activated a multiplier (today was 8x/4x for Legit)
- Hit the machines and started with 10 play
- Had a nice run hitting aces twice and a good amount of dealt winners
- Quads were weak
- Cashed out even after over 8k in action
- Checked in at VIP area but room still wasn't ready yet
- Went to Cove for a late lunch and early dinner
- Service was the worst I've ever experienced
- Was told Pizza would be an hour wait (WTF???)
- Opted for the Southwestern Sliders w/ fries
- Sliders were quite good but I wanted pizza
- Went to try to check in again and the room was finally ready
- Was given room 18087
- King room with nightstands, table, chair, arm chair, dresser, TV & fridge
- Bathroom is tiny with a basic vanity, toilet an tub set up
- Views down the river and of the pool area
- Hit the machines and started with spin poker
- First hand dealt trip jacks and hit 3 quads
- All downhill from there
- Dropped $300 on little play
- Switched to 10 play
- No major hits or dealt winners
- Activated my $550 free play
- Ran through single line
- Turned the $550 free play into $540 cash
- Continued to play a bit longer and hit an abundance of full houses
- Did not hit any quads the whole time I played
- Lost $50
- Played some slots and had a few bonus rounds for a small win
- Decided to pack it in after a fairly long day
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $155
Total Comps For The Day = $619
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Day 17
Friday December 30, 2022
- Got an early start and hit the machines
- Started with 10 play back by the river
- Was hovering and right around the even mark
- Hit my first quarter royal of the trip
- Play continued and had a bunch of dealt winners
- The bleed started and cashed out up $800 after 12k in action
- Went to VIP and got my NYE packet
- Gift was a ridiculous garment bag
- Stop spending money on crap, give us free play
- Hit the machines again with no luck or play
- Lost on 5 play
- Lost of 10 play
- Lost on single line
- And just like that, in regards to the royal, it's gone
- Nothing worse than hitting a royal at breakfast and being even by lunch
- Went to lunch at Aquarius Cafe
- Got the pot roast which is always inconsistent
- Today it was very good
- Took a walk down the river walk all of the way to Golden Nugget
- Decided to play at Golden Nugget
- Started with 10 play Airport Deuces for dimes (Spin Pokers in use)
- Couldn't hit much and was bleeding
- Hit a set of deuces
- A few hands later hit them again on a single card hold
- Still dropped $200
- Switched machines to Spin Poker Deluxe for dimes
- Continued to bleed on this machine
- Got dealt quad tens
- Had a hand with multiple quad aces
- Lost more on this machine
- Ran $60 free play through nickels and turned it into $69 cash
- Net Loss of $428 here at the Golden Nugget
- Returned to Aquarius
- Went to dinner at the Cove
- Server said 45 minutes for pizza
- Customer said no way
- Ordered the sliders again
- Should have ordered the pizza because they took almost as long
- Hit the machines again after dinner
- Lost on 10 play
- Lost on single line with 8k in action and no quads
- Gave up on VP for a while
- Wandered around playing slots
- Had some good bonus rounds and a few big hits
- As I passed by the slot club I saw signs posted about a point challenge
- Had no idea there was a point challenge by card level
- Looked at the list and saw James D and a number that looked like mine
- It WAS my name and number
- I was in second place and won $800 for my play yesterday
- Beat the guy in 3rd place by 179 points and the difference was $200
- Ran the $800 free play through 10 play quarters and turned it into $705
- Played more video poker now that I had some new bankroll
- Shouldn't have played
- Lost another $500
- Was one of the worst days I've ever had playing video poker
- The royal, slots and the point challenge kept it from being a disaster
- Hit a few more slots and a few more bonus rounds gave me a little win
- Called it a night around 1am
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $401
Total Comps For The Day = $1069
===========================================
Day 18
Saturday December 31, 2022
- Got a late start today
- Started with some slots, won a few bucks (literally a few)
- Went to lunch at Outback
- Had a Caesars Salad and Prime Rib Sandwich
- Sandwich was weak on the meat (like 2 slices)
- Meat had good flavor
- Hit the 10 play machines after lunch
- Hovered for a good while
- The bleed started and I bled fast
- Got down to my last hand
- Didn't even have enough for 10 play, had to switch to 5 play
- Got enough o play a few more hands of 10 play
- Around the 4th or 5th hand I got dealt quad threes
- From there things were really good
- I got dealt 5 full houses in about 100-150 hands
- Also got dealt a few straights and flushes during this time frame
- Had the credit meter +$700
- Cashed out with a $500 win
- Came to room and took a break and ended up falling asleep for a few hours
- Went to my New Years Even Dinner at Cafe Aquarius
- They actually used the old buffet area for the food
- Food was worse than it was at the old buffet but worked
- Returned to the casino after dinner for more 10 play
- Was not a good session and dropped the $500 I won earlier on only 4k
- Played some more slots for fun until midnight
- Won a little thanks to a bonus round worth $80
- Came to the room around 12:30am
- Happy New Year
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $78
Total Comps For The Day = $240
===========================================
Day 19
Sunday January 1, 2023
Happy New Year
- Slept in this morning
- Went to Cafe Aquarius for New Year's Brunch for invited guests
- Unfortunately the line went from the cafe all of the way to table games
- Eff that
- Decided to play instead
- 10 play was the game of choice again
- 10 play was a killer again
- Dropped 3 bills on 6k in action
- Went over to Tropicana
- Had $25 Free Play
- Also $20 Food
- Went to Carnegie's for lunch
- Had Corned Beef Hash and eggs and iced tea
- Used my $20 voucher to cover the bill
- Played some video poker and chose deuces 10 play
- Had a good start almost doubling the credit meter
- Deuces went on vacation
- Ended up losing just $100 on 5k in action
- Switched to single line for dollars
- Cannot hit a quad playing single line, it's been days
- Got a good run and cashed out even on 2kin action
- Decided to play some Ultimate X
- Had a few good hits but not enough to make up for the bad pay table
- Played some slots and won about ½ my VP losses back
- Ran $25 free play through single line quarters and for $15 cash out of it
- Came back to Aquarius
- Played some slots and hit a few bonus rounds for some profit
- Hit the 10 plays and only lost $100
- Went to dinner at River Rock
- Had the Fried Ravioli Appetizer
- Spaghetti w/ meat sauce for entree
- Food was good
- Service sucked as has been the theme here at the Aquarius
- More 10 play and dropped another $200
- Just can't seem to hit anything
- Too many hands with no pay off
- Cashed in $400 worth of points for free play
- Played singe line dollars
- Turned the $400 into $250 cash in a terrible run through
- Nothing better than 2 pair
- Played a few more slots and had a few nice hits
- Gave up early to get ready to get back to Las Vegas tomorrow
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $132
Total Comps For The Day = $599
====================================
Day 20
Monday January 2, 2023
- Got ready for the move back to Las Vegas
- Grabbed my weekly Cove/Duet Vouchers from the kiosk
- Went to Duet for one more comped “meal”
- Ham and Cheese Sandwich and Gatorades to use up vouchers
- Ham and cheese sandwich was weak with 3 slices of meat on a hoagie
- Headed out of Laughlin
- Drive to Las Vegas was uneventful
- Drive out of Las Vegas was insane with 95 backed up to the 215/515 exit
- Arrived at Rampart around 1:15pm
- Was able to check right in
- Room 6227 in Palms Tower
- Very similar to the room last week but a little smaller
- Only other differences are no dining table
- This room has a balcony
- Got my stuff into the for a full unpack
- This is the last leg of the trip
- Hit the casino for 10 play action
- Hovered for a good while then got sucked dry in a matter of minutes
- Dropped $300 on 6k
- Went to buffet for dinner with Jimbo & Katy
- NY Deli Night
- Standard issue for Rampart
- Activated my free play for the next 3 days at players club
- Hit the 10 plays again
- Really rough start down $100 in about 100 seconds
- Mounted a big come back with aces
- Also got dealt 3 flushes and two full houses
- Ran the meter up to +$600
- Machine went into suck mode again
- Cashed out with a $300 win on 7k
- Ran $175 free lay through dime deuces
- Turned it into $200 Cash thanks to a dealt quint
- Played more 10 play quarters and got slaughtered
- Dropped $500 on 3k in action
- Tried my luck with some single line
- Had no luck
- Had no quads again
- Took one more shot with Spin Poker
- Pretty smooth with just enough dealt winners to survive
- End up winning back $200
- Tried out some slots and made a few bucks thanks to a bonus on Buffalo
- Was in room early but had enough losing for the day
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $330
Total Comps For The Day = $475
============================================
Day 21
Tuesday January 3, 2023
- Slept in this morning and got a later start on the day
- Found Jimbo and Katy in the casino
- We decided on an early lunch
- I went to the deli and got a bacon cheeseburger
- Was WAY overcooked
- Went up to Jimbo & Katy's suite, ate, and hung out
- Started off play with the usual 10 play action
- Couldn't hit shit
- Best dealt hand was 2 pair and 1 straight
- Dropped $300 on 1k in action
- Switched machines and had a similar session
- Dropped another $200 on 1k
- Decided to try my luck on single line
- Finally hit some quads for the first time in about 5 sessions
- Cashed with a $200 winner
- Went back to 10 play
- Dropped another $200 on 1k in action
- Switched machines again and dropped another $300 on 5k in action
- Decided to switch to dimes to slow the bleed
- Caught on fire as expected
- Dealt winners one after another including quad kings
- Cashed with a $200 win
- Switched back to quarters and dropped the $200 I won at dimes
- Came up to the room for a break
- Hit the casino just after 5pm for the 5:15 Terrific Tuesday drawing
- Got called in the second group of names
- Joe Goldberg was the first drawn and won $5000 cash on the 1st pick
- Screw you Joe Goldberg you win like every week
- I was the 8th pick out 10
- Prizes left were $250 FP, $250 FP, and $1000 cash
- Guess which one I got?
- Wrong, I got the $1000 cash
- Went to dinner at Spiedini Famma with Jimbo & Katy
- This is my first time here since it's reopened
- I got Beef Carpaccio for appetizer and Chicken Piccata for my entree
- Appetizer was half the size it used to be for the same price
- Entree was excellent
- Returned to the casino after dinner
- Played another round of 10 play
- Dropped another $200 on 3k in action
- Ran $175 free play through dime deuces
- Turned $175 free play into $200 cash
- Played a few penny slots for fun and won a few bucks but nothing major
- Came to room early to get caught up on some rest
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $243
Total Comps For The Day = $490
==========================================
Day 22
Wednesday January 4, 2023
- Got up early with plans to head downtown
- Got a text from Jimbo that today was 10x/5x points
- Decided to stay here and started pounding away at 10 play
- Dropped 8 bills on 5k in action
- Made the choice to go downtown to get out of here after that
- Went to Fremont to keep my points alive but they were already gone
- That's my fault for not paying closer attention
- Had $5 free play available- whoo hoo
- Play some Super Times Pay
- Hit a quad and took $50 of their money
- Eff them!
- Had lunch at Magnolia's Veranda over at Four Queens
- Got the usual bowl of gumbo
- Hit Binion's to play for the day
- Tried 5 play for quarters and halves and got crushed
- Tried 3 play for quarters, halves and dollars and got crushed
- At one point I was into the machines for over 2k
- Had a mini comeback towards the end of play with aces a few times
- Also got dealt a few full houses and flushes to regain some ground
- Had $600 free play and ran it though single line
- Turned the $600 free play into $800 cash thanks to quad 3's
- Still dropped 14 bills at this dump
- Came back to Rampart
- Met Jimbo and Katy for dinner at Jade
- Had a variety of items
- Beijing Beef, Sesame Chicken, Spring rolls and egg drop soup
- Hit the casino after dinner
- Tried 10 play again
- Dropped $300 on little play again
- Ran my $175 free play through dime deuces
- Turned it into $140 cash
- Kept playing deuces and got quite a bit of play in
- Then the insult of all insults happens as I get dealt quad kings
- Hit a set of deuces
- Got dealt a wild royal
- Cashed out at $200 for the only decent run of the day
- Switched it up and tried some single line
- Moved back to 10 play
- Dropped another $300 and gave up
- This is the worst day I've ever had at video poker
- Only got like 13k in here at Rampart
- Decided to take one more shot at getting some money back in my pocket
- Bought in at the craps table
- Nice $10 game with 10x odds
- Caught 2-3 good shooters, one that shot for 20 minutes
- Had doubled up my buy in of $500 but she was still shooting
- Started pressing up my bets (got the 6/8 up to $150 each)
- Had now tripled up
- Played a bit longer and cashed out with a $1065 win to ease the VP pain
- Played a few penny slots afterwards and won $30
- Came to room to wrap up another night
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $1655
Total Comps For The Day = $1163
========================================
Day 23
Thursday January 5, 2023
- Started the day meeting Jimbo and Katy at the buffet for lunch
- Same quality and foods as usual but much cheaper
- Jimbo & Katy covered the tab (Thanks for lunch guys)
- Hit the machines after lunch
- Not major hits except a straight flush 4 draw the landed two of them
- Had a good session running 8k through and only dropping $100
- Moved to another bank of machines and got beat up
- Dropped 5 bills on just over 2k (WTF?)
- Took a short break and then reloaded
- Did another 3k and broke even
- Evelyn arrived to join us for dinner (Anne couldn't make it)
- I played some single line quarters with her
- Hit two quads and a bunch of “stuff”
- Cashed out with a $100 win on $100 in action!
- Went to Spiedini with Jimbo, Katy and Evelyn
- I had minestrone soup that was pretty good
- Got the filet mignon for the main course
- Was very good but the sauce was a bit salty
- Jimbo and Katy covered the tab again (Thanks for dinner guys)
- Evelyn left and we hit the casino
- I played more 10 play
- Had a decent session
- No major hits other than aces and a few bonus quads
- Had the meter tripled up but cashed out with a $100 win
- Played some penny slots for a change up and a bonus gave me a small win
- Back to the video poker machines and did nothing but lose
- No action and lots of bills being fed in
- Reminded me of yesterday
- Gave up and came to the room
- Packed up for Saturday's trip home
- I hate packing on my last day and now it's done
- Got to bed around 2am
Total Win/Loss For The Day = - $1258
Total Comps For The Day = $273
==================================
Day 24
Friday January 6, 2023
- Got ready for the day
- Had a quick session of video poker
- Tried my luck at Spin Poker
- Lost 5 bills to start the day on about 7k
- Met up with my friend Gary for lunch
- Went to Earl Grey Cafe
- I got the Turkey Platter
- Pretty good but the turkey was a bit dry
- Hung out with Gary for a few hours then hit the casino
- Started off with the usual 10 play
- Hit a bunch of quads including dealt deuces
- Got dealt a bunch of full houses, flushes and straights
- Had the meter almost quadrupled before the bleed
- Cashed out a $500 win on 7k in action
- Had a mini dinner at the Summerlin room (trying to eat light before flying)
- Pulled Pork Sliders
- Chips and Cheese Sauce
- Soft Pretzels
- Ice Cream
- Returned to the machines after we ate
- Had a very level and smooth session
- While we were playing the held a drawing
- I didn't get called today but Katy did
- She won $300 Free Play
- Jimbo & Katy were done playing so we said our good byes for the trip
- They are going home tomorrow too
- I continued to play and continued to keep the meter +/- $100
- Cashed out dead even after doing 14k in action
- Played a few penny slots and won a whopping 2 bucks!
- Don't knock it, I've become a winner today because of it
- Went to players club to cash in points
- Came up to the room to wrap up another night and to wrap up the trip
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $272
Total Comps For The Day = $703
==============================================
Day 25
Saturday January 7, 2023
- Up early and got ready to go
- Stopped to get gas for the rental car
- Returned car to Avis with no issues
- Shuttle to the terminal was smooth sailing
- Checked in at the Premier area for United and it all went well
- I bought this ticket back in October
- First class (Caesars paid for most if it)
- Cost of $997
- Have to connect in Los Angeles
- Didn't want to fly first thing in the morning or on a red eye
- Used CLEAR to get to TSA pre check and zoomed through security
- Was going to The Club Lounge but realized they moved
- Opted for Centurion Lounge but it was packed with a line out the door
- Wandered around and played slots instead
- Had a few good hits and took a $222 win out of there with me
- Boarding began for my first flight
- Flight was packed
- Consumer Electronics Show ended
- No chance of an upgrade for this flight
- Not a big deal because the flight is 45 minutes
- Took my seat 29A
- This is flight 597 to Los Angeles
- Scheduled to depart at 10:30am and arrive 11:56am
- Scheduled flight time of 1 hour 17 minutes
- Announcement was made that it would only take 45 minutes
- No service due to the short flight
- Got out to the runway only to sit in a waiting area
- Air Traffic was backed up so we waited 20 minutes
- Finally took off and flight was quick and smooth
- Arrived at LAX with no time to spare before heading to the next gate
- Did have enough time to stop at the bathroom though!
- Got the the next gate & boarding already began
- Flying business class on this flight and scooted to the front of the line
- Had seat 2A
- This is a Dreamliner with lie flat seats in pods
- Items provided were
- Two Pillows (one feather, one memory foam)
- A Blanket from Saks 5th Avenue
- Amenity Kit with dental kit, ear plugs, lip balm and mask
- This is flight 2614 non stop to Newark
- Scheduled to depart at 1pm and arrive at 9pm
- Planned flight time of 5 hours but would only take 4:40
- Flight had some patches of bumpiness
- Meal choice was Thai Chicken Noodles or Butternut Squash Ravioli
- I chose the Chicken
- Meal also came with a pretzel roll, Asian Salad and Cheesecake
- I flattened the seat after lunch and went to sleep for a few hours
- Landed in Newark at 8:45pm
- As always the gate wasn't ready
- Finally got off the germ tube and went to baggage claim
- 45 minutes later the bags started coming out
- Everything BUT priority bags came out first
- Headed to the air train to get to the rental car area
- Trains were down for maintenance so had to take 1 train to terminal
- From Terminal A to P3
- Now 10:30pm and I'm still in effing Newark
- Finally got to Avis
- Booked this car with discount code through work
- $44 base rate and $72 all in for a Full Sized
- Had a Toyota Camry with 16,000 miles on it
- Car was in good shape and I was finally on my way
- Drive home was uneventful being a Saturday night
- Pulled into the driveway at about 11:45pm and this trip came to an end
Total Win/Loss For The Day = + $222
Total Comps For The Day = $0
=========================================
Final Thoughts
- Flight prices continue to climb
- Rental Car Prices are Obscene
- I'm glad I have a discount through my job on rental cars
- Fremont Street continues to degenerate
- Weed consumption is out of control on the Strip and Downtown
- Prices are up again at Benny's Brews and Smokin' BBQ but still a good deal
- Food and Drink prices on the Strip are out of control
- I can't remember the last time I played at an MGM property
- I really enjoy staying Wynn/Encore and get pretty good offers
- Room Service Prices at Wynn are insane
- Love staying at Wynn/Encore but hate being on the Strip!
- Staying and playing at Rampart feels like home
- Really like Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock
- It was exciting hitting a $4000 royal flush
- Glad I got to see Bat Out of Hell before it closes next week
- The service has been slower than ever here at the Aquarius
- It was cool taking 2nd place in a point challenge I didn't know was happening
- New Year's Eve was a clusterfuck at the Aquarius
- It was cool getting called in the drawing and winner $1000 cash
- Flying in the front of the plane is way better than the back
- I hit 8 royal flushes this trip
- I ran over $250k through the machines
- Craps saved my ass a little bit
- Drawings and point challenges saved me as well
- Even slots were pretty good to me again
- The weather was fairly warm ranging from the 40s to the high 60s
- This win brings my Las Vegas Record to 47 – 23 – 1
- I have no trip scheduled but is most likely going to be June/July again
Eff yous
- Eff you to the plane engine that wouldn't run right
- Eff you to the 3 hour delay
- Eff you to people that continually stepped in front of me
- Eff you to people that continually slammed into me
- Eff you to getting dealt natural quads on single line deuces
- Eff you to $20+ cocktails
- Eff you to the prices on the strip
- Eff you to the ticket redemption machine at Wynn that spit out $55 in $5 bills
- Eff you to Room Service Prices at Wynn
- Eff you to the guys shaving each other's backs at the Encore Spa
- Eff you to Binion's for doubling the coin in required on the good games
- Eff you to getting dealt natural quads on deuces wild 10 play
- Eff you to the guy at Rampart that was eating an ice cream cone at the urinal
- Eff you to a 90 minute wait for WuHu Noodle at Silverton
- Eff you to Silverton for having no noodles in the chicken noodle soup
- Eff you to the dice at Virgin on December 28th
- Eff you to 45-60 minute waits for a pizza
- Eff you to the service at Aquarius restaurants
- Eff you to losing at video poker after hitting a royal
- Eff you to the Aquarius for having ALL of their VIPs go to breakfast together
- Eff you to Joe Goldberg for picking the top prize on the first pick at Rampart
- Eff you to getting killed on video poker on 1/3
- Eff you to getting dealt natural quads and deuces 10 play
- Eff you to the video poker gods on January 4
- Eff you to the swings of video poker this trip
- Eff you to the Club Las Vegas for moving to a new terminal
- Eff you to the Centurion Lounge for being packed
- Eff you to the long flight
- Eff you to the monorail system at Newark that is always having issues
- Eff you to baggage handling in Newark airport
Total Win/Loss For The Trip = + $120
Total Comps For The Trip = $16,701
Rooms = $4,846
Cash Back ~ Free Play = $6,821
Food = $2,528
Shows = $300
Gift Shop = $86
Other $1,490 = (Airfare/Spa)
Questions or comments can be e-mailed to me by clicking the link below
Stungazed - AT - hotmail - DOT - com
