I love the Vegas
 

Just got back from four days in Vegas with 10 of my pledge brothers and it was awesome...

I only lost about $35 from the tables, but in total the trip definitely set me back close to $1000 total...unbelieveable!

Stayed one night in the MGM, 2 in the Aladdin, and then had a room at the Boardwalk to put our luggage in for our 650am departure.

Went to the Ghost Bar/Rain at the Palms, and one of my pledge brothers had met the manager last year, and got all 10 of us in VIP at both places...no cover, straight to the front of the line, and then upper level in Rain. Unbelieveable from what I remember.

Saw Cirque du Soleil "Mystere" at Treasure Island from the second row which was awesome and was part of the show too (one of the clown's bits in the audience involved our group of 5).

Had two of the best meals of my life, one at Diego in the MGM Grand, and then one at Nine Fine Irishmen in New York New York.

Overall it was a frickin' blast hanging out with 10 guys I've spent the last four years with and who are my best friends.

Anyone else have any awesome stories from Vegas?

My fraternity big brother (Stan Carroll, AA 795) used to own the Wild Sage Cafe in Las Vegas. Haven't seen him in ages, though. He's now the executive chef of Cili's at the Bali Hai Golf Club in Vegas. His wife now runs a reopened Wild Sage Cafe.

More info: http://www.cili.com/las-vegas-fine-dining-chefs.asp

I love Vegas.

I hate the frat boys from so cal, but I love the sorority girls from so cal.

-Rudey

Vegas in exactly 2 weeks baby :cool: I cant wait, its been too long...

I think Vegas is a sink hole.

But I think gambling is dumb.

I've probably been there 30-40 times.

It is the best place in the country for a big convention, though, with the close proximity of a billion hotels to the Convention Center.

Take away the casinos and the water rights, and Lost Wages will dry up and blow away quicker 'n snot!

BTW, today is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the City of Las Vegas.

Blasphemy.

-Rudey

i live in vegas and i think its LOVELY. :cool:

SigKap I am with you! I love Las Vegas. In fact, it is one of my all time favorite cities


But Beta, a room at the Holiday Inn Boardwalk???? Ewwwwww! ;)

Been twice love it love it love it. The food & shopping are amazing and if you're lucky to be in a great hotel that can be great as well too.

Two month from today I'll BE there!:)

I just got back from a weekend in Vegas a few hours ago. We were there for a bachelorette party and had an awesome time. We stayed at Mandalay Bay (and was a little disappointed) and had a great time at the pool Sat afternoon. Last night we went to the Palms. We had an awesome meal at the 9 steakhouse (filet minon and shrimp :) ), then headed up to the Ghost Bar. The view from up there was amazing. We got comped to go to the Ghost bar, then had VIP access into Rain. It was the most crowded club I've ever been in, but we had a GREAT time! The music, crowd and drinks were good! We even saw Dennis Rodman for his birthday party.

I'm not into gambling that much, I only lost $35.


I can't wait to go again; I love Vegas!

I don't even think it was a Holiday Inn...but it wasn't like we actually stayed there. We used it as a place to take a shower and change before going out (yeah 10 guys and one bathroom), and then as a place to store our stuff while we went out. Our flight left at 6:50am back to Sioux Falls, so we were at the airport at about 4am (which I honestly don't remember until getting to security).

From what I understand, the Holiday Inn Boardwalk's days are numbered... to be demolished for a new super-casino.

I haven't been to Vegas in a number of years; and the funny thing is, I've never been as a 21 year old (I've been three times when underage). A great-uncle has a home just off of the strip, so I'd been to visit him a few times.

The last time I went I stayed at the Rio, which is off the strip. I was underage, but my cousin and I ended up having a good time.

OH - I thought I had just dreamed that up, but I did hear that somewhere!

I ADORE Vegas. When my husband and I were living in AZ, we used to take as many road trips as possible there. He is deployed to Irag for a year, but we are already in the works of planning a trip there in April 2006--is it bad that I am so looking forward to it already?!

Oh, Lost Wages, who was the Mafia Dude who was killed? He started it with a load of BS that proved to be true, a sucker Born Every Minute.

I want some of my money back from you big winners.

MGM, the old one, was thre 3 Months before it burned as The Balley. What a screwed up place. Was on the 27 th floor! No more, second or wont stay! 2 nights and 3 days, 1/2 months salary!:(

Been There, Done It Did It aint doing it again!:mad:

Oh, one of My Guys is Advisors to the UNLV LXA Chapter!:D

Are you refering to Tony the Ant Spilotro (the guy in casino that they beat and buried alive in the corn filed)?

I am CRAZY about Vegas!! My husband and I have been going there every year for the past 4 or 5 years. When we were there last year we bought vacation property there at the Hilton on the strip right accross from the Sahara. We also saw Celine (who wass amazing) and the new cirque du soliel show KA. I highly recommend Vegas, in fact our Vegas trip for this year is scheduled for this December and I can not wait!!:D

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (no one ever called him "Bugsy" to his face, especially if they valued their life) was the mobster who bankrolled the construction of the Flamingo (now the Flamingo Hilton). When it first opened in 1946 it didn't get very many customers; the action was a few miles north on Fremont Street downtown. Suspicion by "The Commission" of him pocketing some kickbacks from the construction got his ass whacked in Los Angeles the following year. For close to fifty years there was a rose garden in the Flamingo dedicated to his memory, planted there by persons unknown, but whose influence was derived from a certain organization with the initials M.A.F.I.A. Eventually, it was moved or demolished to make way for expansion.

The original MGM Grand (later Bally's) had adequate sprinkler systems in the hotel tower; the fire codes of the time did not require sprinklers in the casino area because it was considered constantly occupied 24/7. A small fire in a deli that was closed for the evening was left to rage unchecked and unseen until it was too late when it flashed over and engulfed the casino. An electrical problem caused the HVAC exhaust fans to fail. While there were a few casualties from the fire, many of the others died from smoke inhalation. To date, it is the second worst hotel fire in U.S. history.

Tony was a vicious sonofabitch, but he (and others) made it much easier for a bigger mob to take over the casinos - the corporations. Mob activity - if any still exists - is kept at a very low profile these days.

If you go the Flamingo Hilton today, they have a bronze plague about "Bugsy" in the Rose Garden by the pool area.

I'll be there from Aug 17-21!! Can't wait! I've been there before, but I wasn't 21 yet, so this is gonna be a totally different experience!

I don't know where I'm staying though, just because I am blindingly trusting my friend who booked the trip and just wrote him a check! I'm sure its pretty nice though, as he's a Vegas snob and will be there to celebrate his 30th bday.

Once again...cant wait!!

Ahhh you got one of them too, huh? Mr. 1228 is a MAJOR Vegas snob. But sometimes I wonder about him... :D
So, if a Vegas snob picked the hotel, I think you have done well! :)

Most Vegas snobs would not have anything to do with:
Circus Circus (they have a good steakhouse though), Stratosphere, Boardwalk, Excalibur (too many kids running around. they have a beautiful wedding chapel...we got married there) Some can take or leave the Imperial Palace

We are looking at going in Mid August too. Hmmm Vegas GC hookup? :)

Some nicknames locals use for casinos:

Stratosphere: You can build the tallest structure on the West Coast, but you can't shake off the image of "Vagrant's World" (originally Bob Stupak's Vegas World).

Desert Inn (now the Wynn): D.I.
Treasure Island: T.I.
Tropicana: Trop
Binion's Horseshoe: The Shoe
California: The Cal
Union Plaza: The UP
Golden Nugget: The Nugget
Imperial Palace: The I.P.
MGM Grand: MGM

"Out, seven, line away, pay the don't and the last come" - What you don't wanna hear from the 'stickman' if you have a bet on the pass line - shooter sevened out and didn't make his point.

Dealer-speak:

tokes - tips
George - player who tips dealers
fleas - low-limit bettors

The Spilotro family still resides in the valley (aka known as Vegas). P.S. How do you know so much about Vegas are you from here?

Used to live there about 15 years ago... my younger brother currently lives and works there. He's dayshift boxman/floorman at the Palace Station (been there for nearly 15 years). He's also enrolled part time at UNLV working on an accounting degree - taking it the slow way! :)

I used to work at the Aerotech rocket motor plant... long before it went up in smoke.

You used to work at Pepcon. Wow. I have lived here since I was three, so over 20 years. I work at UNLV and of course went to school here. I love Vegas history and since the centennial was this last weekend we have had an influx of history in the newspaper. The centennial went well thanks to our trusty mob lawyer mayor Oscar Goodman. He was honored at UNLV's graduation last weekend and made a comment how he found it ironic that the other person being honored was the former head of the FBI in las vegas. What side of town did you live in?

Actually, I worked for a company that bought ammonium perchlorate from Pepcon for the making of model rocket motors. I moved there after Pepcon went up in smoke. After pepcon we bought the AP from Kerr-McGee. Stuff came in two different grinds: 400-micron (about the consistency of kosher salt) and 200 micron (about the consistency of table salt. We had a specially-modified grinder (made explosion-proof) to grid it even finer; 30 micron was about the consistency of confectioner's sugar.

Used to live off Sahara and Decatur, then off Valley View and Bonanza. My brother's usual watering hole is Money Plays on Flamingo east of Decatur - he's been a regular for so long he's in like the top three of the 100-Yard Club (with well over 3000 yards!).

Jill that sounds VERYYYY exciting :D keep us all posted -- because you KNOW we'll be here ;)



PureGold -- like Jill said -- if youre with a Vegas snob - youll be FINE ;) no worries ... and im sure, definitly then, if they are here to celebrate their birthday - you'll be even MORE fine !! :)

Just bumping this because I am leaving tomorrow for Las Vegas!

Staying at the Orleans! :D

Bright light city gonna set my soul
Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that’s ready to burn,
So get those stakes up higher
There’s a thousand pretty women waitin’ out there
And they’re all livin’ devil may care
And I’m just the devil with love to spare
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas!

How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
’cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn’t sleep a minute away
Oh, there’s black jack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on ev’ry deal
All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas with you neon flashin’
And your one arm bandits crashin’
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin’ day into nighttime
Turnin’ night into daytime
If you see it once
You’ll never be the same again

I’m gonna keep on the run
I’m gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I’ll always remember that I had a swingin’ time
I’m gonna give it ev’rything I’ve got
Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
Let me shout a seven with ev’ry shot
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas,
Viva, Viva Las Vegas!

Winner, winner, front line winner seven! :D

Great minds think alike! i was humming the very same song...

and yes the craps tables have my name all over it

Mr. 1228 is dying to hit a poker room


Also gotta keep the teenager out of trouble :D

How do you get comped/VIP if you do not spend much gambling? How do you find out how to get free food, etc. We spent a fortune and had a terrible time. In my opinion, it was the worst 12-day vacation I ever had....
Silver

Generally, most casinos won't even grant comps unless you are betting "green" or higher ($25 chips, which are green) on every bet, and usually for a certain amount of time, usually at least an hour. If you play slots or video poker, it's usually full bet in (3-5 coins or more) on a $5 or higher machine. High-limit play in the 'green' or 'black' ($100) gets noticed quickly.

However, you need not be James Bond or Aristotle Onassis or Kerry Packer (a very well known Australian 'whale', or high-limit player in Vegas) to get comped... a good way for the casino to track your play is by joining the ubiquitous 'slot club'. It's free and depending on your level and length of play, the comps add up.

My younger brother is a 'boxman/floorman' (dice table/floor supervisor) at one of the casinos off the Strip; even he doesn't rate the 'power of the pen' (the privilege of issuing 'comps', which is restricted to full-time floormen and pit bosses or higher in the casino management food chain).

Check out this site for more info on getting comps: http://www.bettorsluck.com/las_vegas_comps.php

Stop by the Palace Station... my brother's one of the boxmen there on dayshift. :D

Have a great time, Jill. If you see the money I left there last month, please tell it hello and I miss it!!:p

Next time go to Vegas for a weekend since most people tend not to enjoy 12 day stays there.

-Rudey

Playing green isn't always sufficient to get comped anymore, depending on what you're playing - I'd suggest rolling black on a BJ table if you're looking for something solid. Playing green, most strip casinos will require something like 5 hours of play - even playing ideal strategy, and assuming you get 50 hands in per hour, you're looking at losing something along the lines of $100 - plus 250 hands can provide lots of variance . . . you're usually better off getting the room for a 'table rate' (where you'll pay a reduced fee for playing x hours per day on the tables).

It's considerably easier to get noticed at a Baccarat table than shooting dice, unless you're really rolling high on the craps table. The better the game is for the house and the bigger the min stakes, the better. To be totally blunt, it's easier to get room comps if you're a woman doing well, or a man doing poorly.

If you're only looking for food comps, those can usually be awarded based on table time, and you'll get those pretty low generally (assuming you're just looking for a buffet).

If you play poker, poker rates can be absurd - under $120 for a room at the Bellagio (weekend), and under $80/night at the MGM and Mirage. You'll have to spend around 5-6 hours on the table per day - this usually results in putting the rooms in different names, then everyone else stays cheap while the poker players play.