Trip Notes: July 2006
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Work has been hectic and
the offers flooding my mailbox have kept me busy pounding the
deal/draw button the past couple months. Without further delay,
here's my trip notes from my annual birthday trip to Vegas
..
Glossary:
C: My dedicated couponomist in crime, and loving wife, Chris
ACG: American Casino Guide (best price is usually at Buy.com; beware
the "special" deals you see some post about as they typically include
an inflated shipping charge)
LVA: Las Vegas Advisor (they just announced they won't offer the $10
three month special for '06. I guess they don't have boxes of POV's
to get rid of this year.)
MP: Matchplay coupon
BOGO: Buy One Get One Free
COD: Card of the Day
As usual, the air was on SWA but this flight was different as SWA has
finally put a morning nonstop from STL to LAS on their schedule. For
the first time ever, we flew nonstop each way to/from LAS. C was
again flying on my SWA Companion Pass so that helped keep expenses
down and I used bump vouchers to pay for my ticket. Nothing like
flying free without using any FF miles. 
Dollar was again the cheapest rental and, like I did on my prior
trip, I decided NOT to tip the lot attendant in hopes of actually
getting the Economy vehicle I had reserved. I don't know about
anyone else, but I'm sick of giving oil companies my money so if I
can get better mileage, I'm all for it even if that means driving a
car the size of a jelly bean. Of course when I arrived to the
Express lot all they had were freaking minivans! I started to object
and the attendant quickly told me I could take 20% off my rate.
Sold! We were soon on our way in a Dodge Caravan.
Our first stop, as has become our custom, was at Ellis Island (report
will be broken down by casino)
ELLIS ISLAND
Coupons: First stop was the pit to play an ACG matchplay (MP)
coupon. Surprisingly we weren't greeted by Sweaty Pete and his
wonderful brand of hospitality. He must've been on vacation as we
didn't see him at any time all weekend. No worries, Manny the
bartender was on duty so we got our usual dose of that lovely
customer service he's always dishing out (yes, that's sarcasm you're
reading) to us. Oh, and yes, I tip him for the bottles of water. ;-
)
Misc: We cashed a few ACG 4 Free Drink coupons for bottled waters
during the trip and this was a nice way to keep the water supply
stocked in the van for our various coupon runs. As many of you know,
one can never have enough bottled water in Vegas! Ran into the VPFae
during a stop and shared a few words. The VPFae is a gracious
gentleman and if any readers get the chance, definitely spend a few
minutes chatting with him (though he also appears to be a busy VP
player, so one must respect each other's time).
Food: Our plan was to hit Metro Pizza in EI for a couple slices on
their Thursday BOGO special but they weren't open yet. Apparently
they don't open until 11am. Huh? It's Vegas baby, you gotta serve
pies 24/7 for hungry couponomists. We ended up getting our Metro
Pizza fix later in the trip but, GASP, I had to pay full price for
them. Still a reasonable price and a great outlet for a quick bite
to eat.
TERRIBLES
Coupons: We played the usual MP's here and didn't get any pitboss
heat. That's two trips in a row that no pitboss has sweated us for
coupon play. No kidding!
VP: Played here for the very first time using a multiple point coupon
I picked up. Plenty of 9/6 JB all over the joint so with the
multiple points it would seem to be a decent play. The clientele
leaves something to be desired, especially at nights, but I received
good drink service at the bar so no complaints from me. Disclaimer:
yes, I enjoy a cocktail or three when playing VP. Before you
preachers-of-perfect-play-personalities get you're your panties in a
pinch, keep in mind that I have a steady strategy card handy and I'm
not afraid to use it! Let's see what my mail carrier brings me
for my $8K coin-in.
HARD ROCK
VP: The 9/6 JB are still in place outside VIP and the FPDW were as
advertised on the ring around the center bar. We made a couple stops
here over the weekend and each time we were there I saw the same
local (pro?) pounding these machines. Sure it's a nice joint but I
can think of one or twenty better plays around town. To each their
own. Maybe he knows something that he's not sharing with us. ;-
)
Coupons: Received the new 6 pack coupon with the ACG coupon. It's
much improved with a $25 MP instead of the old $10 one. In addition,
there's a $10 freeplay coupon on it but keep in mind they won't allow
use of the ACG and POV $10 freeplay on the same trip. BS, I say! I
like my coupons double dipped, thank you.
FIESTA HENDERSON
Coupons: Played a couple MP's here and, as with last report, the FH
continues to reduce the number of table games available.
Misc: The much needed parking garage appears to be ready any day.
Combine that with the relatively recent completion of 215 and this is
a much more convenient location for locals to play.
VP: As with last trip, I didn't play a penny here. I had a
multiplier coupon but just found there to be too many other plays in
town that were more favorable.
RAINBOW HENDERSON
Misc: Made my first stop at the Peppermill-owned location. If
you're considering a trip to the Pepp in Reno, make a stop and you'll
get a taste for the neon that surrounds you at the Pepp.
Additionally, I made a gas stop at a station close to the Rainbow.
Prices were cheaper than about anywhere else in the valley. The only
other station I saw that was cheaper was one located between the SFe
and Texas Stations on Rancho (though this was E-85).
LONGHORN
Coupons: There's no other reason to come here, is there?
VP: No clue. I didn't bother to look for the AA or FPDW.
NEVADA PALACE
Coupons: Played the ACG MP here without incident.
Misc: This place is borderline depressing. It's mostly filled with
degenerates and just has a bad `vibe' to it. I didn't see any
evidence of the construction to a Cannery but I didn't look too
close.
AZ CHARLIES BOULDER
Coupons: Made my first stop into this joint since the days of the
wonderful $25 Perks MPs. The $5 MP from Casino Player just doesn't
generate the same buzz but this place was on the way to our next
destination so we decided to stop anyway. We played on a double deck
game and I was fortunate enough to watch a bunch of little cards come
out on the first round. We stayed and played a minimum bet for
another round and the count continued to climb. By the shuffle I had
won $140, starting with a $5 wager. I just love pounding a positive
deck during a coupon run.
CANNERY
Coupons: Again, played the 50 coin ACG as well as the matchplay
coupons here. Their COD promo is still active, as is their 5x points
and some relatively nice gifts on certain days. Unfortunately they
were out of the Ralph Lauren sunglasses that my wife was really
eyeing. Grrrr. Between my play last December and this trip, I've
amassed quite a few points here. Time to start looking at the
optimum way to redeem them. Frugal point shoppers, your comments and
suggestions are welcome.
RAMPART
Coupons: Rampart also offers the 50 coin ACG 4OAK coupon and there
was no grief redeeming it. Also, like Cannery, they were offering
various gifts on certain days and the player gets to keep the
points. Nice touch. NOTE: The amount of CI required at Rampart is
significantly higher than at Cannery for the same gift. If you're
only playing to score the gift, Cannery on a multi point day is the
way to go. Last minute addendum: The '07 ACG will be worth
significantly less to VP players with the elimination of the 50 coin
bonus coupon at Rampart and Cannery in the upcoming edition. Bummer!
VP: All VP is as stated in the VPFree database. I gave them about
$10K CI this trip, and $15K last December. I contacted a host (Donn)
and he offered a generous discretionary comp to Spiedini, their nice
Italian outlet. In addition, he also extended a room comp on a
future trip. C really likes this place so we'll definitely consider
a stay here on a future trip.
Dining: We enjoyed a very nice meal at Spiedini, their Italian
restaurant. Service was very good and their sommelier offered us a
very generous taste of various wines before we settled on an Echelon
Pinot, which I had previously enjoyed during a comped stay at a
swanky West Hollywood joint on separate business. We enjoyed a crab
cake appetizer (VERY good), mixed salad, chicken marsala (decent,
though slightly overcooked) and filet (enjoyable). Dessert was their
tiramisu, which I was disappointed with. Try as I might, I was not
able to max out the comp. Shhh, don't tell anyone.
FIESTA RANCHO
Coupons: Played a couple MP's here during the trip. It sure is sad
to see what's happened to the once playable blackjack at this place.
Unless you have a matchplay coupon, it's now a complete waste of
time.
PALMS
Coupons: Also made a coupon run here and did ok.
VP: For the first time in years, I did not play any VP at the
Palms
.just too many other plays that are better
even when the 3x pts
coupon from the POV is factored in.
Dining: Ate at the 24/7 Café on two occasions. Enjoyed both meals
with list members luvnluk and the Quiet Lion. I had a Chinese entrée
during one of the meals and it was quite good, as well as being
reasonably priced (though both were picked up by my generous dining
companions, thanks again). Service was average.
BARBARY COAST
VP: NSUD is still in the same machines that it was available on
during my last trip so the VP inventory hasn't decreased. The
longstanding grave mealcard play seems to have taken a hit. I asked
a suit for one and he said these now have to be authorized by the
slot shift supervisor. The next morning I asked for one at Club
Coast and received it without a problem (discretionary, no points
deducted). I inquired with the clerk about the new grave policy and
she insisted there had been no changes. I didn't have a chance to
ask during the following nights but will look into this at a later
date. I again personally confirmed that ALL Coast properties EXCEPT
Barbary continue to give the 2500 points during the birthday month.
Earn 1 point and the 2500 download to the account within a minute or
two.
Room: The refurb in the guest rooms is now complete. In addition to
the fresh wallpaper, new carpet and plasma TV, BC has now upgraded
the bedding. Gone are the old polyester bedspreads
replaced with the
new trend in hotels
a triple sheeted bed/duvet. The poor TV
reception I noted on my last report had been dramatically
improved.
Misc: The room offer I came in on included a $100 meal comp and when
I went to Club Coast, they made sure I knew that I would be
responsible for any overages. I find it silly that BC won't allow
Drai's to be charged to the room
regardless of the fact that it's a
leased outlet. If you're an early riser, the BC offers one of the
most entertaining freak shows on the strip. Grab a seat on a NSUD
machine located on an aisle and watch the drunkards going TO Drai's
at 6AM. The show continues until around 8 or 9AM when they start
filtering out. Good stuff!
Last minute update: It was announced today that Harrahs has entered
into an agreement to purchase BC from Boyd. What a sad, sad day.
Harrahs soon to ruin the best low-to-mid roller play for the visiting
VP player. The meal cards, the generous quaterly mailed offers for
nominal amounts of CI, the personable staff (once they knew you were
a `regular'), the yummy Chinese in the Victorian room, the unbeatable
location and easy access from the room to the parking garage and
Strip. Bummer, bummer, bummer.
Food: Drai's. This was our third trip to this outlet and first
since last year's comp fiasco. The restaurant had been closed for
about a month prior to our visit but I was not able to discern any
noticeable difference in the facility. Product quality was
acceptable, though unremarkable. I had my Drai's staple, their
lobster ravioli and C had her usual, the filet. The ravioli were
excellent, as always, and C thoroughly enjoyed her filet
much better
than a previous visit. Fred, the same server we had last visit, was
cordial and effectively serviced our needs during dinner. For
dessert, we inquired about the strawberry beignets. Fred noted they
were not available. UGH! PANIC! Aside from the lobster ravioli's,
the beignets are the ONLY reason to go to Drai's. Fred noticed my
horror and asked us to hold on a moment while he checked with the
chef on possible availability. He returned moments later with good
news! They had enough for one order. SOLD! If you haven't enjoyed
this dessert, you're missing out. Trust me on this one
.the
strawberry beignets at Drai's are a must do. For the first time in a
few trips, I went over the comp limit by a healthy amount. I asked
if I could use points from the slot club to cover the difference.
Nope! I asked if I could charge it to the room (with the thought of
getting it comped at the end of the stay). Nope! As I stated above,
this is just a silly policy. (NOTE added: Drai's will soon be
leaving BC to move to Wynn).
Food: Victorian Room. As usual, waits were typically 30+ minutes at
this outlet and
.and usual, flashing my comp moved me to the top of
the list. Our staples, the John Wayne breakfast and Kung Pao Chicken
with eggroll continue to be the way we start day 2 of our LV visits.
MANDALAY BAY
Food: China Grill
C and I enjoyed a fabulous meal here with Mr. and Mrs. EZFromNwOn
from the VP lists. I had $121 in One Club comp money to burn up so
we decided on this outlet. The $121 was enough to fill all four of
our bellies, with a healthy sized doggie bag to boot. Overall
product quality was outstanding and we were all commenting on how
much the meal was enjoyed. Hopefully we'll have the chance to return
to this restaurant in the future as I rated it a solid 8.5 out of
10. The Asian chicken salad was possibly the best I have ever
sampled and all other dishes were of high quality and fresh. I made
up for the oversight noted about at Rampart/Speidini's and came
within $0.50 of using the entire $121. Redemption!
WYNN:
VP: The bank between Red8 and Lure is as stated. Played the APDW to
earn the required 500 points for the (4) free buffets. These ended
up being the most expensive buffets I've eaten as they cost me in the
mid three figures. Unlike the previous trip, the cocktail waitress
at this bank sucked. I ended up having to head to one of the bars
with 9/6 to grab a quick drink. This ended up being an usual process
for a drink. I inserted C's card (we were playing on her card for
the buffets since I earned my 4 free buffets last Dec) and then slid
in a Benjamin. After a minute, a bartender offers service. I order
my usual Goose and water and he verifies I'm playing then promptly
serves my drink. I decide to play for a bit at the bar so I don't
look like a total drink whore. About 5 minutes later, a suit comes
over with a comp slip and asks to see my card. I pull it out and
hand it to him and he looks curiously at it. I tell him it's my wife
card and he doesn't give me any grief before asking me to sign the
comp slip (for my $12!!! Glass of Goose). I question him about the
procedure and he says they have to generate a comp for EVERY free
drink given out. Wow, what a PIA
.though I'm sure there's plenty of
LV bartenders serving drinks to non players who are "playing" at a
rate of 1 hand per 10 minutes.
Promo: 500 points nets 4 free buffets. At ~$35 per buffet, that's
a 3 % comp play! Of course, that's long term play and you could
easily drop a dime playing $1 VP. The buffets I was issued didn't
come with a line pass (I asked), so get there early to avoid the
line.
Food: As I've reported previously, The Buffet at Wynn is
spectacular. I'm not a `foo foo' type of diner but I still enjoyed
the many varieties of culinary delights. My favorites continue be
the BBQ Chicken Pizza (if it's not available, just ask and the cook
will prepare one for you) and the Asian chicken salad. Prime rib is
consistently of restaurant quality and the mini crème brulee dessert
is tasty. I still contend that this buffet is of higher quality than
the B's or at the Aladdin (though it's been a few years since I've
dined at the Aladdin buffet
hopefully Planet Hollywood hasn't
destroyed it yet)
LAS VEGAS HILTON:
Misc: My visit consisted of cashing coupons at the cage, confirming
that my cash/comp balance was cleared out and playing a couple MP
coupons. I walked into the Spacequest bar, lowered my head, and had
a personal moment of silence. I think I almost teared up at the good
old days of $ PE with 0.67% CB, generous discretionary comps and
juicy mailers. A sad, sad moment in my VP career.
RIO:
Misc: Stopped in here to get a look at the WSOP Main Event that was
going on. You didn't actually think I was going to play their
garbage 8/5 Bonus machines did you? WOW, what a spectacle the WSOP
is. Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways. I walked out with a nice bag
full of goodies from the numerous booths set up by online poker
rooms. I was looking forward to going back (and hopefully playing)
in '07 but I guess I won't have that opportunity to qualify online
since the US Congress morality police has decided that US citizens
should've have the right to play online poker or place a wager on a
football game. At least the mob will soon see their profits
increasing from local bookmaking
..End of off-topic rant.
HOOTERS:
Misc: We attended a WSOP party held by pokersourceonline.com, the
site that offers very good bonuses as an online poker room
affiliate. They held it in their 2nd floor conference room and I
actually won one of their $500 cash drawings. Very nice.
VP: Wow, what a bunch of garbage.
Misc, part deux: I hit the craps table for one roll to get a couple
nice $1 chips to add to my collection (I do this the first time I
visit every new casino. I think I'm up to around 250 now) and we
immediately left after the PSO party.
CAESARS:
VP: Another sad moment occurred during my trip when Caesars shut
down the 10play with the juicy theoretical setting. As a result, I
spent much of my time playing one of the two 9/6 STP machines. Had a
blast on this and walked away even after hitting a .25 RF on one
line. Ugh! What a thrill ride this game is. I moved over to the Spin
Poker and multiline machines near the Shadow Bar. Between the
traffic in this area and the pounding music from the lounge, IMO this
area isn't fit for play during the late evening hours
I headed over
to the mini high limit area in the old casino near the pit closest to
hotel registration and played the slant top 9/6's there. Hit a SF at
the $2 level but otherwise had my dinner, as well as my after dinner
drinks, handed to me. Not a good session. Caesars ended up getting
close to rack rate out of me for my room this trip. But hey, I
scored a nice refrigerated cooler bag. Harrahs sure knows how to
make a loser feel good, don't they? (Insert sarcasm
LOL).
Food: We ate in the Augustus Café twice and thought is was average
in quality and very, very overpriced. Diamond card holders get
priority seating, so that was nice given the mile long line on the
morning we dined at this outlet. Nothing really worthy of mentioning
regarding the food
.typical coffee priced fare at inflated prices.
Service was quite slow and the smoke was pretty bad for a `non
smoking' table. I would not recommend this outlet. If it wasn't for
the fact we were starving and had some running to do near Caesars,
we'd have left and eaten elsewhere. I doubt I'll return for a meal
here.
Room: I booked an Augustus Tower room and received an Augustus Tower
room (unlike many other's who were given the standard `based on
availability' excuse as they were given rooms in other towers). The
room was very nicely appointed with high quality and comfortable
furnishings. It had a contemporary theme with lots of white, greys
and blacks. I'd have to say this is the nicest `basic' room we've
had in Vegas, nicer than the Bellagio or Venetian. This is simply a
matter of personal preference.. Now here's the major NEGATIVE of the
Augustus Tower
It's ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY the LONGEST point from
the VP garage in Caesars. I would bet it's literally over a quarter
mile (and possibly a half mile?) walk from the parking garage to the
Augustus Tower rooms.
Misc: Drink service flat out sucks in the VP garage area. Here's
how to get a drink
hit the "Great Service" button (at least that's
what I think that's how they were labeled). The change attendants
are timed on how quickly they `clear' the call so they will almost
run to your machine to offer assistance. When they arrive, ask for a
beverage. The first attendant gave me the good old "they'll be here
soon" form-letter type response
but I wasn't buying. I'd been there
30 minutes without a drink and wasn't taking that BS for an answer.
I asked for a Beverage Supervisor who immediately had a beverage
server over. Even a measly Diamond player at Caesars gets good
service. I'll give Harrahs credit for their service if they think
you're a player
.. Here's another observation about Caesars this
trip
.it was PACKED! I've NEVER had a problem getting a parking spot
on the top floor of the garage and I had to circle like a chicken
buzzard several times on Saturday evening to get a spot. Harrahs is
definitely driving the ploppies to this property.
OVERALL thoughts: As I've remarked the past couple trips, Vegas
continues to offer less and less value for the knowledgeable player.
Harrahs recent announcement that they're acquiring the Barbary only
adds to the reduction in value. I'll say what none of the Kool-Aid
drinking writers based in Vegas will say in the usual publications;
consolidation is killing the Strip for the AP. Yes, there's still
money to be made but you gotta hustle a little harder and
be `connected' to a good knowledge source if you really want to make
a buck on the Strip. Couponomy continues to be a good way to add to
the EV if you're willing to work for it (and it IS like work now
dealing with traffic to get to some of these off Strip joints).
The end of the year is approaching and I'll be returning to LV late
this year. I thought I'd mention that if any readers have any extra
Vegas matchplay coupons from the ACG or LVA POV or Casino Player,
I'll happily try to put them to use, or find a good home for them
(and would be glad to make a trade for your coupons, if you're so
inclined). The end of the year is near and tossing coupons in the
trash is like tossing money there. Help a starving VP-playing
couponomist buy a new pair of shoes for Christmas. Hehe. As usual,
I'll offer all coupons I have remaining after my December trip to
others in an attempt to `pay it forward'.
Thanks for reading!
