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Jesus Take The Dice
February 28, 2009
Friday was a Sahara day. When all was said and done, I went to the casino on three separate occasions. The first trip was to take some sprogs to play in the Sahara Video Arcade. After Circus Circus and The Excalibur … the Sahara is probably one of the better video arcades on The Strip. My second trip was to hang out with the NASCAR Cafe crowd and check out the huge burrito (not in a gay way). The third trip was my degenerate gambling trip. Back in 2000, the Sahara was one of my preferred properties, and has always remained one of my favorites. With so many casinos to choose from, though … my gambling at this casino trailed off a bit. I am, however, experiencing a resurgence in interest for the place. Friendly dealers, good drink service, superior odds for The Strip … what's not to like? I think I am going to ... Read the full blog post...
NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas
Yeeeee Hawwwwwww. Wake up Cletus and Jimmy Jack, and tell them to get their ass to Vegas. NASCAR Weekend is finally here. Personally, I like NASCAR weekend. I've said it before and I'll say it again … it really is one of the best crowds to invade Las Vegas on a yearly basis. I have found NASCAR folks to be overwhelmingly polite and pleasant people. They like to have a good time, and the vibe when they are in town is very festive and fun. I don't religiously follow NASCAR myself. There just aren't a whole lot of racing fans in DC or New York where I grew up. We expended our professional sports efforts trying to sneak into Knicks, Bullets, and Redskins games. To this day, I can only name one NASCAR driver off the top of my head. Jimmy Johnson. Is he good? Is he ... Read the full blog post...
Double Gold and Double Jackpot at the Rio
Nancy, my dad's wife, was just having a time of it with the slot machines at the Rio. She played the Double Gold for a while but it took her money. I think she's been spoiled by those river boats she's been gambling on east of the Mississippi. I think the second machine in the video is Triple 7 Double Jackpot. That one didn't like her much more than the Double Gold. And the arm didn't work. She has this system where she pushes the button some times and pulls the arm other times. It was making her a little crazy that the arm did not work on this particular machine. She was in slot mode and kept with her routine, then she'd reach up for it and it didn't move. We were supposed to be having dinner, but there were slots all around and well, Nancy ... Read the full blog post...
A Night at the Rio
February 27, 2009
I've never been that crazy about the Rio really. I guess I don't have any particular reason for not liking it. The fact the Up in the Sky show was 'on vacation' the entire time my Dad and his relatives were staying there didn't help matters any. It is far away from where I live, in a sort of out of the way place and there doesn't seem to be anything terribly entertaining for me there. So, I'm just not that crazy about it. My Dad's wife hit the slots. The video is of her playing Double Dollars slot machine. It hit every so often but she wasn't liking the machine all that much. It is a penny slot. When you watch it hit and the numbers just keep climbing, it is pretty fun. Well, until you realize that it isn't one thousand dollars, it is one thousand pennies. Then you ... Read the full blog post...
The Showdown: Human vs. Virtual Dealers
I returned to The Stratosphere, and this time I was very cautious not to ask for directions. I almost got shot by security last time I did that. The Strat is my new favorite place to play some good old-fashioned 21. It's one of the last places on The Strip to offer $5 3:2 … and let's face it, that's about as good as Blackjack gets south of Downtown anymore. When I went inside, I noticed something that I missed the last few times I was in the Stratosphere. Virtual Blackjack. The machine was literally one row away from the “real” Blackjack tables, and I realized I had a decision to make. Which dealer? Real or virtual? I had played with virtual dealers before, but only a few quick games of 3 Card Poker at Hooters. I had not played virtual Blackjack before. I walked up to the large video screen, saw the decent looking electro-chick, ... Read the full blog post...
The Las Vegas Arts District
February 26, 2009
Yes, we have one. Sort of. What does a city do when it wants to charge above-market rent in otherwise seedy parts of town? They turn that part of town into an “Arts District”. Every city in America has an Arts District. Some have several, but they all serve the same purpose … gentrification. A depressing warehouse area on the fringe of Skid Row in Los Angeles got turned into an “Arts District”. Parts of Williamsburg, Brooklyn saw a similar “artist” influx. The same has happened in nearly every city throughout the country. Cities and towns attempt to gentrify a gritty area by making it hip and “funky”. In real estate parlance, “funky” means “this place is ghetto, but we are going to charge you a fortune anyway”. Most self-described artists embrace Art Districts. People like to categorize themselves and segregate themselves. It's human nature. “Artists” (whatever that term means) are no different. I was in the Arts ... Read the full blog post...
A Taste of Soul, part 2
I had more video so I thought I'd put together another little movie for you of Taste and Sounds of Soul. Of course, Carl Ferris was playing his sax. As I've mentioned before, I really don't care for jazz at all, but I love to listen to Carl play his sax. Apparently, so does a shaved head woman you'll see in the crowd. I really would like to not know what is going on in her mind when she watched him play. But he gave me his own personal little show and just about stuck his sax in my face. One of the most interesting things about Carl is the women who come to hear him play. They tend to be older than me and way more obsessed about the lead guy in the band than me. They are a hoot to watch. The shaved head girl is the exception. She's much ... Read the full blog post...
Buffy The Full House Slayer
February 25, 2009
“Let Me Tell You How The Internet Screwed Up Poker. On the Internet, when a guy sucks out on the river … you can’t take him out back and break his f**king knees.” That was my favorite line in an otherwise abysmal movie called “The Grand”, and sometimes, I feel like getting that quote tattooed on my forehead. There is something about living in the shadows of casinos that, no matter how terribly you feel, you are compelled to walk or drive over to the action. I kind of understand how people become gambling addicts in this town. How do you walk out of your front door, see huge, bright casinos looming a mile in the distance, then turn around and say “Ahhh, I'm going back inside to sleep this flu off”. It's tough. Plus, I feel it is my solemn duty to pass viruses back to tourists so they can go spread the ... Read the full blog post...
Can Rex and Boyd Gaming Save Las Vegas?
February 24, 2009
What do you do when you knock down your flagship property, embark on a massive replacement project, run out of cash, and turn the new place into an ugly, vacant monument to economic hardship? In most places, you shoot yourself. In Las Vegas, you buy more properties. This week, Boyd Gaming informed Station Casinos that it was interested in buying some of their properties … including Aliante Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe Station, Fiesta, and possibly even the upscale Green Valley Ranch. Boyd has $2 Billion in “revolving credit”, which is not enough to finish Echelon, but is large enough to buy this laundry list of locals casinos. Were Boyd to be successful in acquiring these properties, they would have to expend roughly half of their revolving credit ($1 Billion). Is this a good investment? Given that Station Casinos is expected to file for bankruptcy next month, and the properties will be on sale, maybe. Then again, ... Read the full blog post...
Happy Endings In Las Vegas
February 23, 2009
Over the years, I have gotten a large number of questions via email from people who do not want to pose their query in a more public forum. One of the more common of these private questions pertains to … Las Vegas Massage Parlors. For the most part, people don't want to touch this topic in public. (no pun intended) I don't think I have ever seen an honest, unbiased article about Vegas Message Parlors. The reason I think this is ... is because no “legitimate” journalist will admit to having actually been a customer of one of these places. Most journalists have to be very politically correct and have to tread very lightly lest the public get them confused with actual human beings. In order to accurately report on a subject, you need first-hand experience, and that is why few mainstream articles have been penned on this topic. Personally, I do not have any ... Read the full blog post...
