Vegas Trip Thurs

Freemont Street / Binions / Golden Nugget

THURSDAY April 17th

Up at 10am (ridiculously early for me).
Decided we’d head downtown for breakfast
at CALIFORNIA Casino or the El Cortez.
We needed to stop by a Walgreens or
some other drug store to pick up a few
toiletries and a bunch of bottled water.

On our way there, we stopped at The
Gamblers Book Store (630 S. 11th Street)
to pick up the 2008 AMERICAN CASINO
GUIDE (ACG). Paid $15.95. Lots of coupons
inside it, 2 for 1 buffets, $10 free slot plays,
$10 BlackJack match plays, 2 for 1 tickets.
A great value, tonnes of useful coupons
which I will try to note throughout my report.
The kicker is it has a 10% off coupon in it
for the Gamblers Book Store which the
guy tore out and applied to the cost
of the book !

Right next door to the GBS was a
Dollar Store (corner of Charleston & Maryland.)
It had a great selection and some great deals.
I think next time, I will forgo buying and
packing all those little mini bottles of soap,
shampoo, shaving cream, etc and just
hit the dollar store when I get there.
Easier and cheaper.

Got what we needed and headed
downtown to Fremont Street.

The urge for breakfast had passed
by this time and decided it was time
for lunch and strolled over to the
FOUR QUEENS Hotel & Casino and
had lunch at Magnolia’s. Decided on
the full rack of ribs and chicken gumbo
soup - $16.95ea. Had a 2 for 1 appetizer
coupon from the ACG book. Came to $24
for both of us including coffee, pops and
our tip. Food was decent, not amazing.
Very big portions. Signed up for 4Queens
players card and got a deck of playing cards
in a cool metal package.

3pm. Decided to check out CIRCUS CIRCUS,
heard they had a decent poker room.
First impression: Too may kids and the
whole place had some very odd smells.
Kids are great but they don’t belong in a
casino, let alone in vegas. Picked up the
Circus Circus Coupon book that I had heard
good things about (used an ACG coupon
to get it). Garbage, that’s what it was,
and that’s where it ended up. A coupon for a
free fountain pop when I buy a $20 pizza …
Fuck Off. $10 off a $100 spa package… Fuck Off.

The poker room had two Limit tables going,
that’s it. Bathrooms were nasty. Based on
my 20 minutes here, I wouldn’t stay at this
hotel even if they comped my rooms & meals.

4pm. Went to the MGM GRAND knowing
that they would have some good poker going.
Had 7-10 games running while we were there.
Approx 2/3 of the room was $1/2 NL ($200max)
and 1/3 was limit ($2/4 and $3/6). They also had
a $2/5NL going, but it was full and seats were
very slow to open up. MGM has a good
atmosphere, the whole casino does,
but especially the poker room. Its semi-enclosed,
gets some walk by traffic since its right across
from the lions cages. Tables have a marble
racetrack, which I’m not a big fan off.
Room is pretty loud, partly because of
people riffling their chips on the marble racetrack,
but mostly because of the floor guy talking
on the microphone a lot. It did keep the room
organized and draw in lurkers who heard him
announce when they had a seat open.
They also have computerized tracking,
the dealer swipes your player card right at
the table which ensures you get comp credit
for your play. Mostly 21-35 aged males,
not that many drinking or drunk.
Washrooms are relatively close, clean and
have HOT water, who knew that was
even possible.

Poker Action was pretty good.
Ended up ahead a little more than $100.