Dec 2 arrival, staying in a nice corner Suite up high at the Silver
Legacy. I played most of my video poker here, with one side trip up
to the Peppermill casino.
I enjoyed the usual comped room, limo and meals this trip. I was
joined on the trip by 4 good friends Friday thru Monday. They all
played a fair amount of video poker, and all of them played side
table games also. The other games I and they played were Pai Gow,
Hold'em (tourney at Pepps) and slots. The others also played the
ponies at the sports book and blackjack. All of us ended up down
varying amounts. We all had a great time, lots of good food and
drink. The music and atmosphere in the casino was just right and it
rarely got crowded.
One friend broke the ice with his first quad Deuces ever - ended up
with 3 of them. Two friends got 50-1 payoffs by getting straight
flushes in Pai Gow. One friend lasted longer than I in the Sunday
Hold'em tournament at Peppermill.
Me- I'll cut to the bottom line and admit I lost my entire bankroll.
That was painful, but it lasted to within five minutes of my
departure to the airport. I suffered thru many dry spells without
drawing jackpots & mini-jackpots. Quads were rare and never recouped
losses. It will take me a while to analyze how my Plan was flawed or
how (and why!) I did not follow my Plan. I certainly won't be able
to blame anyone but myself or the RNG.
I will try to make separate mentions of casino inventory changes.
Only a few affect the vpFree database. I also don't have my usual
list of non-VP observations: (a) not many zany moments and (b) I was
really focussed on vp itself this trip. I kept fairly complete denom,
jackpot, bankroll flucuations and time facts this trip. I'll share
what I'm comfortable sharing...rather than $$ figures, I think I'll
use % of bankroll.
The summary before the story this time:
Non-VP: 2 hrs of Pai Gow, down $100.
Peppermill Hold'em Tournament, down $30
(coupon covered initial buy-in)
VP: denoms, Games,
.25: FPJW, nevada bonus
.25 w/progs: FPDW, BP, DDB
.50: BP
$1: BP, DDB prog, JW(pepps)
.05 50-play JoB
$5: DDB
denoms, HRS, % of bankroll lost
.25 16 2%
.50 11 16%
$1 17 76%
.05x50 2 4%
$5 1 2%
···
---------------------------------
total 47 100%
I accumulated approx 3700 points for comps during 4 full days and
nights.
I forgot to get my trip total from the promo desk, they typically
share that info freely. My host was on vacation the whole time, but
everything was pre-arranged and went smoothly without him.
Daily Gaming hrs by day: (my days are wake up time to bedtime)
8, 11, 12, 12, 4 total = 47
Jackpots: by day, over $100:
5, 4, 5, 7, 2 total=23
Jackpots listed (denom):
100 x 2 (.25)
100 x 4 (.50)
125 x 1 (.25)
125 x 5 ($1 )
200 x 1 (.50)
250 x 1 (.25)
250 x 7 ($1 )
400 x 1 ($1 )
800 x 1 ($1 )
I came in to Silver Legacy around 1:15 Thurs 12/2 and got settled
quickly in my corner suite. I actually pulled out the iron and
ironing board and ironed the wrinkles out of my shirts. Wow. While I
was doing that, a guy delivered a huge basket of fruit, nuts and
chocolate plus a bottle of the Owner's winery (Ferrari-Carano) Merlot
(about $50/bottle at the restaurant) - the one I'd mentioned that I
like so much in an e-mail to my host after my last trip. Nice touch!
I poured a glass to go and headed for the casino floor. My plan was
to play $X on .25 machines and then move up after any loss. I had to
play my first C-note on the $1 DDB tho'. I hit a 250 quad early on
and that gave me my stake for the quarters. I worked my favorite
banks: multi-game slant tops near keno, where I played .25 FPJWKK+
and got a dealt Wild Royal (+125) +100 session, which I then dropped
to the FPDW fast TITO near the south wall ladies restroom. I felt the
urge to play the .50 Bonus Poker (BP) bank, which got moved from the
keno area over to the opposite side of the mainfloor, right next to
the sports book. I said hello to my favorite waitress, Sheri, and
dropped 50 to the .50BP. I did shorts sessions on .25 BP Prog, there
are two banks: slant tops near the NE corner (near mens room) and
along the south wall toward the west side. both had Progs near $1200,
both got hit during my stay also. But not by me. only dropped about
20 on these. A quick spin of the $1 DDBs lost me another 100. I took
a spin on the nickel 50-plays near high limit, 9/6 JoB and quit up 50
after getting dealt a couple hands of trips, hitting 3 or 4 quads on
each.
It's 5:45 already, time for Jambalaya stew, big bowl, at the Oyster
bar up next to Sterlings on the 2nd floor. A great meal, Oysters,
shrimp and chicken mixed in with a thick brown slightly spicy stew. A
full meal and fun to people-watch while relaxing. I'm up 150 to this
point. I took an hour room break after eating, I was kind of tired
after getting up way earlier than normal so I could get to work 4-5
hrs before my flight in. I got in some TV & a quick power nap, so I
headed back down refreshed for more fun. First I head for .50BP and
hit quad 2s (+100) up 50 on the session. I take my profit over to the
$1 coin DDB Prog bank of 16 east of the center bar and near the end
of my 100 cred I draw quad As with a 5 kicker for an 800 hand pay, up
700 for this run. The Prog is at 4700 now. I return to quarters, win
20 on the DDB Prog near mens room and drop 20 on the JW. I piddle
away 40 to a couple slot machines for a change of pace flyer. I'm up
850 at this point. Shoulda quit here.
$1 DDB I hit a quad K +250, only profit 100 for the session. That
becomes an offering to the $1 10/7 DB Prog, a rare play for me. And
I'm not comfortable with the weird (to me) strategy, so I run away.
Prog was up to 4835 for you who like it. I didn't play it again, but
the Royal got over $5K while i was there. I didn't check my last day
out to see if it had been hit, sorry. Now I toss two Benjamins into
the $5 coin DDB in high limit. couple trips, a str8, but that stake
disappears quickly. I flee. Another run at the $1 DDBs, drop 300 and
exit. I drop 50 on the .25 slant tops, playing Nevada Bonus, Joker
and some Dbl Deuces. A hundred into the $1 Bonus at the base of the
center escalator on my way to the room, as I'm getting heavy eyelids
around midnite. I chat with the gal at the promo desk, I get my
lifetime points (28,461) and find out they stopped giving out gifts
at the various lifetime point levels. My last gift was a nice black
Silver Legacy jacket at 20,000 pts. I notice later they have crudely
cut off the gift chart off their comp brochure. I do the nightly
ritual "emptying of my pockets" on the desk in my room and find out
I'm up 200 on day 1.
Day 2 I had set my alarm knowing my friends are arriving around 9AM.
I groggily answer the phone at 9:15 and invite them to my room. They
come by to check out my digs, they are happy with their corner room,
but it's not a suite. They're anxious to start gaming, so they leave
and I join them an hour later about 10:30. I start out on .25 JW and
DDB, down 100 so over to .50 BP. I come up to even for the session
and move over to the fast .25 FPDW Progs.
I snag quad ducks on a draw for 250 and pocket it as profit. Now I'm
following my urge for some $1 DDB where I drop 200. Back down to .50
BP, down 40. Drop a 100 on $1 DDB and I'm even on the Tour to here,
it's 1:30PM.
Two hours more on .25 JW, DDB & FPDW, I drop 180.
A mini progression of .50 BP (-80), .05 x 50play (+60) and $1 DDB
(even, thanks to a dealt quad 7) leaves me down 20. It's 4:30.
An odd game for me but I wanna give it a spin is $1 Triple Dbl Bonus
Plus on a multi-game slant top just east of the south wall mens room.
I drop 140 here, not enjoying the game that much, maybe it's because
I don't have a strategy card, but mostly I didn't hit any good hands.
(I play it similar to DDB).
5:30: time for dinner, at Sweetwater with my last friend to arrive,
his flight came in about 1PM. I have cheese tortellini, spinach salad
and onion rings appetizer. I pickup the tab. Too much food, so I room-
break it until 7PM. A quick tally has me down 400 for the trip.
I guess I'll switch off dollar amounts here. Quad 8's and Quad
2's+no kicker are the highlights of a long losing $1 DDB session.
More losses on nickel 50-play and .50 BP take me to 10PM.
.25 BP prog, DDB and TBP+ drop me a little lower and a night ending
100 to $1 DDB makes it midnight. I'm down as I tally up what's in my
pockets, but I am glad I didn't try the $5 coin DDBs.
Day 3, Saturday, I'm gaming at 10AM. first hour I'm even after .25
JW, DW and .50 BP: thanks to quad 2s on the BP (+100). Another hour
of steady losses on .25 DDB, JW and $1 DDB despite Quad J's on the
dollars (+250). A minor 100 comeback is all I have to show up to
2:30 from a lot of .50 BP and some .25 BP prog.
Then, an ugly run on the $1 DDB and just 10 min on $5 DDB, and I'm
starting to wonder if my stake will last the day. Up a little on
the .05 x 50play and even on .25 DDB thanks to quad 4s, no kicker
(+100) and it's 4:30.
I need to recoup some losses, so I do an obstinate session on the $1
DDB to no avail. I can't hit a quad. I cool off on .25 DDB for +60
and take a long room break at 6PM.
It's dinner with my two single pals at 9PM at Sterling Steakhouse.
Steak for me, Prime Rib and Swordfish for them. Very nice meals. Onto
my comped tab, they leave a nice tip. I decide it's time to leave
when one friend starts telling a loud story about cockroaches.
10:30 I'm back at it. Despite quad 4's no kicker on DDB (+100) and
quad Q on $1 BP (+125), this session is down a small amount. I hit
the ATM before midnight, "just in case" I run out tomorrow. I run
out just after midnite thanks to the dry .50 BPs. I dip a bit
into "tomorrow's stake" on the $1 DDBs. Runs on the $1 BP and .25
DDB are even money. I call it at 1:30AM.
Day 4: I decide I'm gonna head to Peppermill today for the 2PM No
Limit Hold'em Tournament. Sign-up begins at 11AM. I'm gamin at the
Silver about 10AM, seeing who of my friends wants to go with. Three
of them are regulars in our monthly home game, so I think they could
hold their own in a tourney. Only Jim is game, so we taxi to Pepps
after I drop 40 to .25 DDB and JW. We sign-up at the poker room,
lucky me I remembered my coupon which saves me the $35 buy-in. Next
to promo desk, where Jim tries to sign-up for a slot card, but
amazingly he forgot his ID. I forget to give him my spare card so his
points go to waste, no biggie, he's playing quarters. ME? I activate
a PIN number at the Promo desk and I got a WAD of Free Play. I decide
to play $1 JW and grab units of 100 creds, play them approx 20 hands
(but not counting) and cash them out. After hitting more than average
amount of quads plus a Wild Royal for 125 in a deuces game, I pocket
$800 . I'm ready for normal action with a good stake. I'm
disappointed to find the .25 FIVE ACES machines gone. I take a run at
my nemesis $1 10/6 DDB in high limit. Down 60, plus another nice win
at $1 JW (18-1 for quads). Me & Jim play the bartop .25 9/6 DDB right
outside the poker room until they begin seating just before 2PM. Good
luck & see ya at the Final table. I win 2 hands in the first round of
hands, one was a nice pocket KK which held up and crippled two
opponents with a 92436 board. I did a lot of folding in the next 1/2
hr leading up to the first break. Saw a flop or two, but nothing to
bet and I prefer a conservative table image if I can keep up the
facade early on. With only 500 in chips at the break, I re-buy 600 in
chip at the last chance-first break. Jim & I compare notes at the
break, he's doing OK, he's got a chatty Cathy table captain sitting
next to him who claims to have been awake for a long long time who is
just about giving away his chips. I mention the Oriental gal at my
table who has been playing and winning a lot of hands - she put out 2
people in one hand- they both went all-in pre-flop, one with KK, the
other with QQ. This gal scurried to cover the all-ins, of course, she
had AA. It held up.
So, Jim & I agree to meet up near a certain bank of VP machines if or
when we don't make it to the final table together. It's good luck and
we head back. My stack of 1100 whittles down to 750 on some ill-
advised calls to see a flop and a turn card a couple times. I'm at a
fairly aggressive table, and it doesn't help that they've stuffed 11
players to a table rather than the usual ten. I finally am dealt a
hand I'd like to play: A7 offsuit. Blinds are 50/100, I'm first off
the BB and raise 100. All but one fold. I figure him for an Ace
he's a much larger stack than me. Flop comes A7J, I've hit two pair
and feel good. I check, he bets 100, I raise all-in. He thinks a for
a bit and calls. Cards come down, he has A8. I'm feeling good. Turn
is a Jack, I begin to get queasy. Before I figure out that he's got
me beat at this point, river comes a 3 and the dealer is pushing all
the chips to my opponent: My AAJJ7 loses to his AAJJ8. Ouch! But,
hey, happens all the time, I leave stunned but not bitter.
I glance over Jim's way he has changed tables, and has some chips
so I wander out to the casino. I decide to play my nemesis 10/6 DDB
in high limit. I score a quad 6, refreshing that there ARE quads
existent on this machine. But it chews me up for a 200 loss. I head
out to near the meeting spot. I play .25 BP, draw to a 4card inside
SF and hit it for 250 creds. Jim wanders up, plays the machine next
to mine and I hear the story of his last hand: AA. Flop of 3 low
clubs, one big-stacked opponent bets maybe 400. Jim calls. Turn of
Ace, not a club (Jim holds A club) and Jim pushes All-in. Opponent
smooth calls, he had two low clubs for the flush. River is
Not a
club, so Jim exits. He made it to the last two tables, not bad for
his first Nevada tourney.
We finish up and head to the taxi line to go back to Silver. This
was a good side trip for my pocketbook. Taxi fare is around $10 each
way. We learn that all the construction downtown is a 35-foot
lowering of the train tracks thru downtown. Driver says, "The casinos
wanted it, they got it." Also says the schedule for completion is out
the window due to all the artifacts they keep digging up, which
closes that section of construction.
Back at Silver, I blow ½ my Pepp money on .50 BP and $1 DDB. I'm
happily interrupted by Jim, who has gotten his ticket drawn ("Mystery
weekend") for 4 free spins of the $100 coin Dbl Diamond slots in high
limit. Amidst great pomp and circumstance, he and three others take
their free two coin spins. One guy gets a cherry, another guy nets
$1000 I think, but our man sputters out, happy for the $800 coin-in
on his card, some champagne and some little meatball hors d'oervres.
The whole gang ends up on the fast DW machines. We're calling out 5
of a kinds and wild royals, seems like everyone is up. I cash out up
100 and do a session on $1 BP on my way to the room to change clothes
for another dinner with the other friends at 8:30. I hover about even
despite quad Js twice (+125, +125). I figure I got enough in my
pocket to last the evening, but time for another first class dinner.
We meet up and get seated right on time at Sterlings. We go with a
Ferrari-Carano Merlot blushes that is a special deal tonite, normally
$100, tonite $50. We sample it and like it. Jumbo Prawn appetizer,
Porterhouse steak, RibEye steak and I forget which steak and prawns
were our 3 orders. I finished my porterhouse, my friends couldn't
fathom how I could only eat one meal a day.
No room break after dinner, we have a good couple cups of java and we
head downstairs and find our two other friends for a brief huddle. I
opt out of joining them for Pai Gow, as I've never played it in a
casino, but I played it enough on my computer at home to know how to
play. I don't know why, but I shy away from new situations like this,
even though I'm not a shy person at all. So, I'm wandering around,
not sure of which machines to play, when I walk by my 3 friends just
sitting down the end Pai Gow table, with a new dealer, and two empty
seats. OKAY, already, I'm in. I buy-in for $100, give the pit boss my
slot card and we're off and running. First two dealers are friendly,
but not that outgoing. No matter, my friends provide the babble. I
find I'm making my 2 and 5 card hands much quicker than my friends,
who play this a few hours per day. I make a couple minor mistakes,
dealer points them out, but I pushed anyhow. The game isn't too slow
for me, it's a nice break. I get up right before midnite to hit the
ATM, just to make sure I don't run out the next day. While I'm gone,
someone hits a straight flush, so I lose out on "envy" bonus of $20.
They all have a good laugh, I try to retort that I made many hundreds
over on the machine I was just at, so nyah nyah. We break up about
1AM, I'm down a $100, but enjoyed it. The good dealers were efficient
in making their hands and settling the wagers, but also were good
conversationalists.
Everyone else calls it a night, I decide I have enough energy for
another hour or two. After two hours at .50BP, I'm down 100. Quad 4s
(+100) is the highlight. As it's next to the empty sports book, the
replays of the day's NFL are all for me. The casino has about 10
customers in it at 3AM. I take note of the $1DDB jackpot which must
have got hit sometime today, it's at 4320, was over 5050. Also, the
$1 DB is at 4982. I play the $1 BP for an hour. Quad Q (+125) and
last hand is a dealt 9-Q spades, I draw the K for a 250 SF. I cash
out EVEN for the session. It's 4AM.
I assess my alertness and decide to keep plugging away. A run at the
$1 DDB and I'm down ½ of what's in my pocket.
I dribble away about another ½ on .50 BP, $1 DDB, .25 DDB, .25 FPDW
and a final .50 BP. One stop at the ATM for tomorrow's stake, a stop
at the bell to make limo resos, front desk to arrange a late check-
out (1PM isn't late enough for me, but I'll try) and I'm back to my
room by sun-up, 6:15AM. I pre-pack my suitcase to make it easier in
the morning. I get to sleep about 7:15AM and wake up about 12:15 AM.
Bags to bell desk, and I hit the $1 BP by 1PM, toting a big glass of
Merlot, the end of a bottle that was gifted to my room by my Host. I
left it empty. After ½ hour, I'm even and move on. $1 DDBs, give them
another chance to bring me to even. My budget stops this effort
after 20 min. I drop 100 to the nickel 50-play, which is on my way to
desperationville, I mean the high limit area. $5 coin DDB. A couple
of str8s & flushes and I quit up 300. Then, an hour over on the .50
BP bank near Sportsbook. Here I run into my mates, stories of "up
past 6AM", etc. Two of them are having success today in the slots,
mostly $1 coin. I'm glad to see it, folks aren't as fun to be around
when they're tapped out. Except me. I think. I hit quad 3s on
the .50BP, but still drop 100 in almost an hour. I sit at the machine
one friend just abandoned, dealt trip As, snag the 4th for +200,
finish the session up 100. I drop all but 100 of my remaining cash
on hand on $1 DDB & $1 BP. It's 4:30, catching limo at 5:15. This 100
better last. I choose the .25 DDB. It last until 5:00. exactly. I've
got a few 5s & 10s salted away ("Get-home money"), but I feel drawn &
quartered.
The limo ride to the airport is fun, we're playing Oingo Boingo on
the CD player. 4 of us, someone with more cash than me tips the
driver well, and we got time for a long cigar outside in the airport
smoking area. An uneventful flight home, except when the pilot dipped
a wing for about 5 minutes as we flew over Seahawk Stadium in
Seattle, where the Monday Night NFL game was going on. Packed house
and we had a fine view of the action. I actually got home in time to
watch the last ten minutes or so, Seattle choking out a loss 39-43 to
a resurgent Dallas.
So, there we go, thanks for reading to the end. Wish there was a
happy ending. Gonna be a while until I re-establish a bankroll and
return. Hope somebody cleans out those Progressives for me at the
Silver. And thanks Peppermill for the free-play. It got me to the
casino for ½ a day.
~MARK