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And Bingo Was Its Name-O
May 31, 2009
This morning, I did something I swore I would never, ever, ever do again. I played “Limit Poker”. Actually, I don't so much detest Limit Poker as I do “Low Limit Poker”. What is “Low Limit”? Everyone has their own definition, but for me it's 2/4, 3/6, and 4/8. Limits above four eight are playable on some skillful level, but it is important for me to have the “all-in” play in my arsenal, should the need arise. Without it, quick double, hit-and-run cards is almost impossible to play. I've always maintained that Limit Hold'em is an entirely different game from No-Limit, however, after talking to a friend this weekend, I realized that I may no longer be qualified to offer an opinion on the matter. Why? Because I have not played any form of Limit Poker in nearly three years. Not one, single, solitary hand. It was entirely possible that I formed my opinion far too early in ... Read the full blog post...
I'm Finally an Immigrant
May 30, 2009
While I have played in most Las Vegas casinos at least once, the fact remains that there are some scattered casinos in which I have never played. These are usually small properties without hotels. One of these places is a fairly well-known casino very close to the Strip … Ellis Island. Ellis Island is a polarizing place. People either love it or hate it. There is rarely an in-between. I have always withheld judgement on the place until I carved out enough time to truly take in the Ellis experience myself. The exterior of Ellis Island has always been an integral part of my daily routine. At one point, it was a stone's throw from a building in which I dwelled. I have walked and driven past it literally thousands of times, but I always allowed the interior to remain a relative mystery. I felt that this was a transgression that needed to ... Read the full blog post...
The Philosophical Challenge of Communal Tipping
May 29, 2009
Since the last week of May is officially “Rant Week” in the City of Las Vegas (per the statutory made up holiday clause of the LVCVA), it seems like an appropriate time to address an issue that doesn't get much discussion here in town. That issue is the practice of “tip sharing” or “tip splitting”. As many (but certainly not all) gamblers know, when you tip your pit dealer, the dealer does not actually get your tip. At least not directly. Instead, the dealer puts the tip in a special container, the contents of which are later divided between all dealers on the same shift. Of course, this is a gross simplification (there are some nuances and some casinos do things differently than others), but most of the time, only a fraction of what you tip your dealer … goes to your dealer. The majority of it actually goes to someone else. I abhor ... Read the full blog post...
Another Swing and Miss From The LVCVA
May 28, 2009
The LVCVA is finally throwing in the towel. After millions of dollars and years of trying to come up with a new slogan, the agency has decided that they simply cannot do it. At least not on a large scale. “Your Vegas is Showing” flopped, “Take a Break” was met with a collective yawn, and … well … everything the agency has touched in the last couple of years has failed to resonate with most Americans. Since the highly-paid, highly-educated employees of both R&R and the Visitors Authority are completely unable to come up with anything original, they are bringing back the only successful thing they have ever come up with. Sort of. They dusted off “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”, applied their expensive college degrees and years of marketing experience, held a massive brainstorm session and came up with the following: “What Happens Here, ... Read the full blog post...
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Sunday night on Fremont Street was another free concert, Blood, Sweat and Tears. I have some good memories with their songs. Some of their greatest hits were: “You make me so very happy” “And when I die” “I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know” “ Lisa” “Listen to Me” So, there are a lot of them. I fought the crowds. I thought I did a brilliant thing by arriving a little early. I got there before 8pm. The ads said they were to start at 8pm. So I was watching this other band on the main stage, who were sort of creeping me out. I, like everyone else, was getting antsy and wanted to know where Blood, Sweat and Tears were. We discussed amongst ourselves. At 8:55pm, someone got on the loud speaker and told everyone that Blood, Sweat and Tears were going to be on the First Street stage. Oh, Maaaan! A whole lot of people ... Read the full blog post...
Hometown Flashbacks
May 27, 2009
As you are all probably aware, the Lord blessed Las Vegas with his presence this week. He's been a busy dude since dying for our sins, being resurrected, returning to Earth, having his name legally changed to “Barack Hussein Obama” and running for President. There's a reason the press can't find his birth certificate, and it has nothing to do with some nefarious nonsense about him being born in Kenya. Even though they allowed visitors to bring gifts, they simply didn't issue birth certificates in the manger. While it would be nice to say that the Prez came here out of concern for Nevada during one of our largest economic downturns, that would be a lie. He came here to do what Presidents do best. Raise money for corrupt party hacks. In our case, Senator Harry Reid. Never one to miss a photo-op, or to inject himself into every irrelevant thing in this ... Read the full blog post...
Revenge of the Coin Hoppers
May 26, 2009
Slots-A-Fun is yet another one of our “punchline” casinos. If you walk through the Bellagio, and see a group of people in trucker hats and cutoff shorts sitting at a table, snidely exclaiming “What, is Slots-A-Fun closed?” is a sure way to elicit a round of snickers from everyone within earshot. Even in these tough economic times, it's still cool to be a snob. Some things never go out of style. SAF has some things working against it. A few that immediately come to mind are the lack of a poker room, the lack of a sports book, the lack of a buffet or non-chain dining option, and a location with little pedestrian traffic. There are no shows, there is no hotel, and there is no pool. What SAF does, however, it does arguably better than anyone else. And what they do is run one of the best no-frills gaming parlors in Las Vegas. Slots-A-Fun is ... Read the full blog post...
The Doors Tribute and strip photos
May 25, 2009
Saturday night was just too much fun with the Guess Who playing for free, and the Memorial Day celebration. Fremont Street, Downtown, Las Vegas was packed. I took some photos of the strip before I went downtown. I was up top of the Mirage parking lot. I didn’t want to be way up there, but I got one of the few parking spaces left. And that was still early in the night. The strip was packed, as was Downtown. I took a lot of video that night. I would have liked to have recorded just about the entire Guess Who show, but I only carry around so many little memory cards for the camera. It sure was a nice change to the tribute bands they’ve been having, to say the least. There was one tribute band there on the other stage though. I don’t know ... Read the full blog post...
Memorial Day Weekend on The Boulevard
Memorial Day is the official holiday set aside specifically for U.S. Citizens to commemorate the 99.9% of men and .1% of women who have died in military service. This holiday is typically celebrated by sitting and meditating in quiet introspection about the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf, followed by visits to Veterans Centers and memorials around the nation to donate time and money to causes that benefit our men and women who have worn the uniform. Just kidding. A quick glance around Las Vegas today reveals little if any concern for anything other than booze, gambling, and women. The fact of the matter is that all Federal holidays are complete and utter nonsense, and people rarely, if ever, celebrate their true purpose. These days, most people would not be able to tell you what Memorial Day is for. All they know is that “it's the start of Summer”. Who cares if Uncle ... Read the full blog post...
Up and out of the rabbit hole, it is Grace Slick
Grace Slick, from Jefferson Airplane, is a rock legend. If memory serves me right, she was the first famous, female lead singer in rock. She was ‘it’. She broke the barriers; she was a goddess to teens like me who wanted nothing more than to be a rock and roll star. In my case, all my talent was in my ear, and none anywhere else. I come from a musical family, but unfortunately, I am missing that part of the genetic code. The First Lady of Rock, as I like to refer to her, was in town yesterday. She was pimping out her art at the Art of Music Gallery At The Mirage. When I got the notice about that I thought and thought about it. My first reaction was that I wasn’t going to go. I already had a full weekend ... Read the full blog post...
