2005 Archived Off-topic Reports

[Wastrel]

Fans of implosions might like to check this site occasionally:

Las Vegas Casino Deathwatch

http://www.jetcafe.org/~npc/gambling...ath_watch.html

Here is a sample of the content: "IMPLOSION ALERT: Game Over for the Castaways. Station Casinos will begin clearling the lot today and expects to raze the tower at an unspecified time in early 2006. As we expected, they have not announced any construction plans for the site. We'll provide an update when we hear of an implosion date."

Im sure at least several SWs will be displaced from the crack apartments across the street when the entertaining event occurs.

Besides information and speculation on which old joint may be the next to croak, how, and when, it also includes a link to a list tracking the ownership status of the major properties. Sometimes this can become relevant to the main purpose of this forum. I would certainly hope so in the case of the Nugget, and hope not but fear so in the case of the Aladdin, for example.

[Cienega32]

I can see your point on hitting that hand.

And I can almost see why this guy of mine would've split the bricks against a 6 but not when someone offers you twice what you could win to NOT split them.

Sometimes you just gotta leave those gift shop books on beating Blackjack in the room.

Once had a dealer ask me for insurance and I declined. Snapper. Next hand - same thing. Snapper. 3 hands in a row. I don't do insurance and to see 3 in a row? Brutal. I'll jump on even money every time, tho'.

[Desert Dude]

Ya, sure know that feeling, watching them splitting 10's. I still like low-stakes blackjack on occasion, if I break out a second 20, it's a big night.

Do remember one drunken night at the Gold Spike where I was on the other side of the fence though. Twice, I had a 12 vs. dealer's 6. Of course I stayed! And got beat twice in a row.

Third time. Thought goddamit, not again. I'm gonna hit. And not only am I going to hit, but, since I obviously know what I'm doing, I'm going to double.

I bust, dealer makes hand, table loses. Big ole black woman next to me starts to give me shit, I tell her 'thats why we all have our own cards'. That didn't go over too well. Apologized to her before I left the table lol....

[Cienega32]

For some reason I flashed back and related a story to an out of town friend that was in tonite.

Why don't I enjoy 21 any more? Besides the fact that it takes too long to make any quick cash/big return (give me 4 card Keno machines)?

I remember sitting alone at the Gold Coast, in it's infancy (when they actually had break-ins that had to literaly count the dots and even then add it up wrong...), with 3 $50 hands in front of me & doubling on all 3. Some guy sits down on 3rd base and gets in the hand with me before the deal. Dealer has a 6 up. The genius on 3rd base has 2 bricks and a 5 dollar bet. He decides to split them. I offer him a green check to tuck them as I'm sitting on all 20s. "Oh I'm just having fun with it - I want to see what happens" he proclaims. His first card is a 7 - 17 - he sticks. Next hand he busts. Guess what the dealer ends up with. Not the 23 he SHOULD'VE had but 21. I say bye-bye to 300. We all lose. He gets up with an "Oh well..." type response. Pit boss drops minimum sign down & closes the table for me, "I have to admire your patience". Took me 5 minutes of shaking my head & muttering "Unf*ck!ngbelievable!" before I could lay another bet down (never gamble angry).

People shouldn't walk onto a game that has a guy playing 3 spots at a 1/2 a buck a spot with a friggin' nickle or worse, a handful of iron.

I've never recovered from the fact that all it takes is one idiot with an extra nickle check to kill a weekend of momentum. I just don't enjoy having the outcome decided by anothers play. At least when it's a negative outcome, anyway...

A good way to make your play last and not get hurt in the pocket is Pai Gow. I can sit there for hours and have what I started with. What a dumb game

Years ago Nevada Palace used to run some good single deck tables. Never bothered me a bit when I was obviously running the deck. Full table - 2 hands - easy money.

[GA Boy]

I usually like staying in one of the upscale casinos and play in the downscale casinos such as Slots a Million or Gold Nugget, etc. (OK I'm cheap) With that said, I just got back from a wek in vegas. 59.00 a night at the Hilton Sunday - Thursday. Friday and Saturday considerably more but I usuually go during the week when it's cheaper. The only requirment i had was to pay the first nights room in advance by credit card when I made the reservation. No other deposits or charges. no bait and switch. etc.

I've stayed at the Excalibur, the Tropicana, the Sahara and the Hilton. For room itself I prefer the Hilton so far. For gambiling I like Slots a Million, Sahara, Riveria, and pretty much any place on Fremont. I prefer playing low stakes blackjack (entertainment puprposes :-) ) to make my $ last longer.

[Cienega32]

Wastrel - as I applaud your memo I do feel the need to point out that if they do respond and properly react to this situation who would be available to prevent the heinous crime of $20 front seat dating between two consenting adults in a secluded area?

[Wastrel]

MEMORANDUM

To: North Las Vegas Police Dept.

From: A concerned citizen

Re: “The Seven Seas” seafood, package liquor, and crack emporium

Sirs, while I personally support your recent flicker of interest in the state of affairs in the block at the NW corner of Lake Mead and H Streets near the aforementioned “restaurant,” as the gang affiliated men openly peddling little bags of a white substance are truly the lawbreakers most frequently responsible for shooting up the neighborhood, poisoning the local kids, and generally terrorizing most of the nearby residents, hence provoking years of unanswered complaints from that community, I must, however, tell you that the recent brief appearance by your “unmarked” city vehicle isn’t going to get it done. They are laughing at you, and resume their dope gang stuff the minute you leave. It is so bad that peaceful local streetwalkers have told me they are terrified, and these ladies do not scare easily. And after all, we are talking about individuals committing felonies that have actually resulted in numerous people getting dead, as opposed to some of the misdemeanor offenses that sometimes distract your attention and finite resources from these important matters.

May I respectfully suggest that if you do not have a more suitable vehicle already in your impound lot you go ahead and cough up several hundred dollars for an old Chevy Vega or something. It should not be overly difficult to get as many drug distribution busts on that block as you care to make. They are, after all, the guys who brazenly swarm around any motorist, including me, who passes anywhere near that spot, and my appearance resembles John Ashcroft or Donald Rumsfeld a lot more than Tupac Shakur or Snoop Dog. I believe you will find that a real effort to stem the decades long rule of that block by violent street thugs would be met by applause from the leadership of the local black community and relieved cries of joy by everyone from the postman to the working girls, if there should be some sign that you are about to become serious in establishing safety for the public there.

In case you are having some difficulty identifying the location of this longstanding mayhem, please permit me to respectfully supply you with a map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=808+W+...0.029273&hl=en

And a photograph:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=808+W+...7440&t=k&hl=en

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our discussions here to date, and I thank you in advance for your attention to this truly significant public safety issue.

[Big Joe 11]

I am at Vegas right now and stay in El Cortez for free because I stayed there on April. The tower room are very nice and way better than LV Hilton! Straosphere (the very high tower at the north end of the strip) are only $30 for the Tower Room during weekday.

[Wastrel]

We need a "Rant" forum...

I think that's a good idea, so I just did it. I'm often tempted to discuss things here about the city that are beyond the main topic of this forum, and so are many visitors, so here's a thread for all things Vegas that aren't directly about sex.

Some low-budget visitors with flexible schedules might like to know that for the next six weeks or so there are some outstanding deals on cheap rooms.

For example, the El Cortez downtown is running another one of their stay two get two room specials. If you stay two nights in July or August you get a coupon for two nights free in September, and their midweek rate for tower rooms has been discounted to $30 if you book on their website, so you end up paying a net of $15 plus tax over the total four nights. The tower rooms have all been remodeled in the last few months, even though they didn't need it (the "silent investor" boys in the Midwest cashing their chips laundered through a construction contract before Jackie croaks?) and they are much nicer than you might think for the location.

From some online wholesalers such as Travelworm and Vegas.com the Plaza is down to thirty bucks and change.

Another example is the off-Strip Gold Coast charging only $35/night straight up for many nights over the next few weeks. They have a rate calendar at the Coast Casinos website.

You do have to be a little careful with some of these marketing gimmicks that get too clever. The Flamingo emailed me a room rate special of $59 on selected dates, and I discovered that if you use the special rate code it charges you that rate for the first night with a much higher inflated rate for the second or any following nights, no matter what dates you select, and the total cost of the stay becomes fairly expensive unless you only take the one night.

I also discovered this when checking room rates at the Aladdin: "Please Note: The hotel policy requires that any Southern Nevada resident booking a reservation the same day as check-in must post a $500 cash deposit, or a $500 credit card (hard charge) This policy is in addition to all standard check-in/incidental payment policies." So, did someone like Wastrel get a little too enthusiastic when swinging from the chandeliers with Bambi and Tempest?

And don't forget to bring a pair of oven mitts so you can touch your car to turn the air-conditioning back on after it's been parked for ten minutes or more.