Vegas Trip Report Sat-Sun Apr 21-22

We checked in late Friday night at Caesars -- it was actually about 1:30-AM Saturday, and we used the new "Augustus/Octavius Check-In" which is a separate room. Caesars added this about a month ago and it was a good idea as it cuts down on the long lines typically found at the major hotel check-in at the main lobby. Since it was past 10pm the Diamond/7-Stars check-in was closed.

Now the fun stuff: When we got there we were told it was a very busy weekend and Caesars was totally sold out. The front valet parking was full except for Diamond/7-Stars and when we walked inside the main Palace Casino looking like New Year's Eve -- it was totally jammed.

It was the "packed house" that got us worried. What if we didn't get a good room?

At the check-in we were told our room would be in the Augustus Tower -- whew, that meant a good room. I was relieved. We quickly checked in, got our keys and went up to the room. Jason and I were sharing a room as we usually do when my wife doesn't go on the trip.

The room was near the elevator which is what Shelley likes -- so Jason commented "too bad Shelley isn't here. It's her kind of room."

Then as Jason inserted his key card into the door lock he said jokingly "I hope there's no one in here." Jason opened the door and as he walked in, with me right behind, he said "why are all the lights off?" (Rooms generally have at least one light on for arriving guests.) And that's when a woman yelled "Who's there?"

At that moment Jason was in the room staring at two women one in each of the two queen beds. Our beds in our room!

"Sorry," I yelled out as we both were turning to walk out, "they gave us this room." I think I finished the sentence just as we were out of the door and closing it.

Back to the Augustus-Octavius check-in. Somehow, they told us,that room was showing as unoccupied on their system. What a blunder. And I said I hoped that those folks would get some compensation or some consideration. By the time they sorted out the mess and we got a room in the Octavius Tower, I was told that a manager was already calling the occupants of the other room.

That was the highlight of the trip. Besides that, Caesars had only $25 minimum craps tables, no changes in video poker, and the Saturday 2pm poker tournament now has a $20,000 guarantee with a $235 buy-in and you will find that it is filled with locals. The regulars said they get about a hundred players for this tourney each wee. The main tournament room was closed for a special event so the tourney was held in the regular poker room and every table in the poker room was used -- and the tournament table I was at was a small "stud table" which had ten people squeezed in around it.

This weekend was a gift card promotion and they ran out of small denomination gift cards. So some customers had to accept either free play in lieu of a gift card or have a card mailed to them once they became available. A lady in line ahead of me said she didn't want to wait for a $300 gift card because she has been waiting months for a gift card from an earlier promotion at the Rio, another Caesars property, and she wanted her gift cards now! She wanted her card right then and there and she wasn't leaving the promotions desk till she got it.

I hope she wasn't in a bad mood because the night before two strange men barged into her room.

Now Alan, that's a good report, but you skipped the part about what the women were or weren't wearing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by redietz

Now Alan, that's a good report, but you skipped the part about what the women were or weren't wearing.

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Remember what Sergeant Schultz used to say? "I saw nothing. NOTHING."

Well, the lights were out and we really saw nothing.

I have always respected the wisdom of Sgt. Schultz. We Germans know when to look the other way.

How did your play go? The reason ALL the LV hotels were filled over the weekend was because of the Baker-to-Vegas 120 mile relay race by police depts. from Calif. to Canada. There were over 5200 participants, 20,000 law enforcement volunteers, and countless other people involved also. It goes straight thru Pahrump. I'm glad we left for Tahoe because we were told it was a gridlock zoo here.

The Macy's Gift Card or Free Play promotion was soooo big this past weekend at Caesars that instead of distributing the gift cards/free play coupons at the normal promotions desk, they had to move it upstairs to a ballroom to accommodate the crowd. Hotel was totally sold out (which means they keep a small percentage of rooms in reserve).

Highlight of the trip was our drive back Sunday night, when we made a pit stop in Jean along the 15 at Gold Strike. Why can't I throw the dice at Caesars at a $25 table like I can throw the dice at Gold Strike at a $3 table?

Here's the situation: Stickman and one dealer so one side of the table was closed. There was one player. He was playing a strict pass line with two come bets with $3 flat bets, double odds. He held the dice for a few minutes and when he 7'd out he said "I only lost a dollar." Dice passed to me. I bought in for $100 and got $80 in red and $20 in white, one dollar chips.

I put $5 on the passline, established a point of 6. Bet double odds (the limit) and $26 across. I'm not exactly sure how long I held the dice but when I was finished I had about $400 in the rail and about a hundred bucks on the table. I was hitting hard tens on just about every other roll but never bet the hardways.

Went over to see Jason who was playing their $1 progressive. He had hit that progressive a couple of weeks ago-- the same weekend he hit those four royals when we were at Caesars. After a few minutes of watching Jason I went back to the craps table. Im the only player.

Bought in for a hundred again, and doubled up.

Why do these things happen at Gold Strike with $5 bets and 2X instead of at Caesars where I start with $130/$135 across with 3/4/5 odds?? Maybe its because you feel less pressure when playing with lower stakes and that puts less pressure on your throws?

Two weeks ago when I was at Gold Strike same kind of thing happened... tripled my $100 buy in.