While enjoying our annual March trip to Mesa, AZ, to warm our bones and watch the Flubbies........er... Cubbies, during spring training, we took a few days off from baseball, to make a side trip to LV & Laughlin.
This little adventure was courtesy of excellent husband #1 (and only) as a nice adjunct to the week of my birthday. His passion is the Cubs, and baseball. Mine, of course, is VP and how best to separate the Casino from a little of their abundant bankroll. Of course, to this unexpected and most welcome foray into Nevada, I happily agreed.
This surprize plan was revealed to me in advance of our departure date, so that I could arrange for comped accomodations in LV. This also enabled me to consult knowledgable vpFREELaughlin posters, for information on which casino in Laughlin to favor with our business.
I phoned my very nice host at the Fiesta Rancho, and explained that we would like to stay there on a Friday evening (coincidentally 5X points day) but that, since we probably wouldn't arrive until dinnertime, I wouldn't be able to give him my normal amount of play. No problem, he said, I would be comped on my past play. I appreciated that consideration. Though the rooms at FR are of the basic 50's motel variety, I do love their vp inventory.
Then, on the emailed advice of several helpful Laughlin players, I phoned the Edgewater in Laughlin. The host for whom I was told ask, was not working due to some ailment, but I was directed to her supervisor. "Sue", the executive host, said that she couldn't comp me in advance, but that she would review my play, at checkout, and would comp me then, if my play warrented it. I asked her to make the reservation on that basis for Sat. evening. I again explained that we would only be there for a few hours of gambling, not my normal 10 to 12 hours daily.
After 7 days of baseball fun and sunshine, we left Mesa, AZ for Flagstaff, AZ, where we spent the night. After a decididly non-gourmet dinner at a Sizzler Steak House ( where the waitress' entire vocabulary consisted of "you guys want anything else" and "no problem") we watched the trains passing through town before turning in for the night.
The next day we drove the 250 miles from Flagstaff to Zion, UT. What a magnificent country we live in ! I do believe that the glorious red rocks, hills and mountain formations of southwest Utah rival anything on the planet for sheer breathtaking beauty.
After touring Zion National Park and enjoying the crisp but sunny late winter weather and marvelous scenery, we spent the night just outside the park, in a lovely lodge, completely surrounded by huge red rock formations. Awesome!!
The next day, after more glorious landscape, we're on the interstate, for the two & a half hour drive to LV. Even though I was in LV for 5 days, a little over 3 weeks ago, I can't wait!
I visualize the casino/vp layout at FR, and decide which FP machines we should play first. I decide on the JW prog. opposite the gift shop, IF we can snare two seats.
Nothing eventful, or very scenic, after leaving Utah, other than a world class collection of sqooshed bugs which hit the windshield with a loud splat. I really wouldn't want to met them outside of the car, as they are huge!
We pull into Fiesta Rancho much earlier than expected, at about 2:00pm. Still plenty of hours to rack up those 5X pounts. Excellent. Husband is totally unimpressed by our sleeping quarters, but decides to tough it out. He does note that the TV has TWO ESPN channels on which he can watch Basketball, if things get too boring in the casino.
Since we're only there for one night, we don't unpack anything except necessities, and are down in the casino in a few minutes. I guide him around the casino, pointing out the "Optimum Play" FPDW and FPJW progs. He is much more impressed with the vp inventory, than he was with the room.
We take a few minutes to have a nice lunch in the Baja Cafe. Very tasty hamburger/fries and iced tea. My husband thinks that it is nice that I treat for lunch, with left over points from the last visit. He generously over-tips Martha, who has waited on me each time I've eaten there. Martha immediately rcognized me when we entered the cafe, and convinced another waitress to let her have our table. I am also a generous over-tipper. I have a feeling that generous tipping is not the rule du jour, at FR.
After lunch, we find two ADJACENT seats at the Joker prog. I can hardly believe our luck. Unfortunately, there was a reason that THOSE TWO seats were unoccupied. Both machines were definetly on the wrong side of randomness. I'm doing better at Jokers (only down $20-$30 dollars) than my husband is at deuces. He has put his 5th Alexander into his machine, when he decides that the deuces are on vacation, and asks me which game on the MG machine is the best. I explain that, since they have FPDW, 10/7DB, 10/6DDB and FPJW, they're all close to or over 100% payback with optimum play, but that IMO, the JW with the permanent $1175 RF prog., was the juiciest.
Excellent husband switched over to Jokers, announcing to me that "I would have to help him with his holds". I agreed, of course. This only slowed me down by about 150 hands an hour. Now, the elderly lady on my right says, that since I was going to help my husband, would I mind if she also asked me a few questions about what she should hold. OK, I sigh, ask away. I am now down to about 400 hands an hour and getting a whiplash.
My husband started to do much better, running his ticket up to $60.00 quickly. Then he hit a Joker Royal, got his credits up well over $200.00, and finally cashed out the ticket at $200.00 when he began the inevitable slide back down again. Little ol' lady on my right is also doing nicely, and almost falls off her chair when she snags a Joker Royal. Meanwhile, moi, the expert, is losing her behind. Finally, my good friend, the VP Goddess smiled at me and I also hit a Joker Royal, then a SF, and then several 4OAK.. I finally cashed out a $250 ticket, and patted myself on the back for a good job.
Excellent Husband had gone up to the room for a snooze, leaving me to my vp. I have instructions to wake him at 7:00 for dinner. I do, but neither of us is the least bit hungry. He goes off to try the BJ game, and I find another seat at the JW prog. bank.
I am now sitting next to nice lady who notices that I keep coming in with RF4, and never converting the royal. She sympathizes and we strike up a conversation. She tells me that she is a retired school teacher, and that she plays vp at the FR EVERY day. This boogles my mind. I ask her how she survives long losing streaks. She says that it has all pretty much evened out for her, and that it seems that long winning streaks follow the long losing streaks. I surreptiously watch her play. She DOES know how to play.
While my new friend and I are discussing the pros & cons of WinPoker, my husband returns. He has lost $95.00 rather quickly at BJ, pronounces the FR BJ mediocre, at best, and is ready for more vp. There are now no empty machines at the JW bank, and I suggest that we find another Optimum bank and play the deuces. Nice lady on my right states that she has to meet her daughter at the movies soon and will be vacating her machine. My husband waits patiently for her machine, while she trys to work her credits back up to her original $100 investment. She finally gives up, and cashes out before the rest of her money disappears.
After a few minutes of play, my husband decides that he is getting hungry. I still am not. He asks me to hold his machine for a few minutes while he grabs a fast sandwich. I ask him to hurry. I utilize the old ashtray/coin container on the seat method to ward off players that are salivating to play his machine. He has left his Amigo card and his money in the machine, and is gone less than 5 minutes, still I have to protect the machine from several disgruntled players, including one who mutters nasty things about my "invisible" husband. Excellent Husband rushes back with a chicken sandwich from McDonalds, and retrieves his seat before anyone else can harrass me. I tell him that, even if he has to GO, he's going to have to HOLD it, because my peaceable soul can not take the flak. Of course, this statement immediately causes him to have the urge to "go". I recommend self-control.
We sit there for another hour or so. Up a little, down a little. Nothing dramatic. It is now 11:00pm in Nevada, midnight in Arizona, and 1:00am in the midwest. Husband yawns loudly and proclaims that it is bedtime. I wave goodbye, announcing that I will play a little longer. My Bennie, which has lasted all evening, now and waves goodbye also. I insert another Bennie, KNOWING that mutiple lovely quads are near at hand. The 2nd Bennie lasts 20 minutes. No one is asking my advice anymore. I am playing MUCH faster. I reluctantly decide it's bedtime for me too, and go up to our room, hoping to get a little play in the next day, before leaving for Laughlin.
Upstairs, Excellent Husband is still awake. He asks me how I did, and interprets the grunt correctly.
I flop into bed, falling asleep at about 12:30, after vowing NOT to awaken at 4:00 am., my usual rising time in Nevada. I didn't. I was wide awake at 3:30 instead. I give my self some credit for staying in bed until 3:45, at which point I head for the shower. After a long, hot and satisfying shower, I dress in the semi-darkness, so as not to awaken Excellent Husband. So what if the lipstick is a little crooked?
Back in the casino at 5:30am, as if there is a luminous bright light beckoning to me, I head back to the JW bank. One lady seems to be there from the previous night. She and I are the only players at this hour. Walking past her machine, I notice that she is playing JW nickles. I am really impressed that the FR has all the FP games, on the OPTIMUM banks, at .05/.10 & .25 denom. I haven't seen this elsewhere. I'm thinking that a $20 would go as far as a $100, if I switched to nickles. Nah, I can't do it. I know I would be unhappy if I got 5oak, or a RF, when I was playing nickles. Realizing how ridiculous this is, and also remembering the times that I asked other players who complained loudly about the same happenstance, if they really wanted to LOSE (while playing nickles or short coin) I continued my unproductive session, at the .25 denom. This was getting to be a habit that I was most anxious to break.
By the time that E.H. joined me for breakfast, another Bennie had flown out of my wallet. I decided that it might be best to leave LV for Laughlin, sooner than originally planned.
We enjoyed a nice breakfast, again served to us by Martha, who almost knocked another waitress down, to take our order. Ham and eggs, cooked as ordered, with excellent sourdough toast and good, hot coffee. My husband was a little surprized and disappointed that the coffee shop had no bagels. The rest of the breakfast was fine, and was paid for with points, of course. With the 5X points, I now had 30,000+ points at my disposal, despite the fact that, on the OPTIMUM banks (which were the only machines that we played) $2.00 coin-in was required for each point. I guess, that when I wasn't giving instructions, I was playing quickly, if not profitably.
Although I was ready for a change of scenery, my husband opted to stay for lunch, and try the FR buffet. While the buffet was outstanding. ( including fresh cold salmon, trout, and shrimp, among many other delicious items) my vp playing was as icy-cold as the shrimp.. It not only cost 18,000 points for the two of us to eat, but another one of my Benjamins bit the dust . My husband was doing MUCH better. He had stopped playing altogether, and was now busy counting his depleted bankroll.
After stuffing ourselves on the fresh seafood, excellent salad fixings, some tasty barbecued ribs and a yummy dessert, we began the drive to Laughlin at about 4:30pm. It was nice 4 lane highway all the way. After collecting a new menagerie of huge windshield critters, we made it to the Edgewater in about an hour and a half.
Finding a parking space seemed like it would take the same period of time as the drive! After circling the jammed parking lot a few times, someone finally pulled out of a space and we grabbed it.
I had not been to Laughlin in perhaps 15 years, and then, only once for a few hours. I was amazed at how much it had grown, and how busy it seemed. It also struck me that it looked more like a tropical beach resort town than LV or Reno. Since it was already dinnertime, I was anxious to get inside and scout the vp, and start winning in a new venue.
We entered the hotel at the entrance near the Keno Game, quite a long way from Hotel Registration. Dragging my wheelie across the extremely crowded casino floor, my thoughts turned negative; something along the lines of "Why didn't I stay in LV?" Then, remembering that the evil gremlin of the wrong side of randomness had dogged my play in LV, I forced myself to cool it. After all, it was Sat. night, when almost all casinos are mobbed. We would weather the storm, avoid the hordes and find a couple of loose FPDW machines, in a quiet zone, showing the EW a thing or two about skilled play.
There were LONG lines at the registration desk. Even though I thought we had not been comped, I confidently entered the VIP office and gave my name. Sue, bless her generous heart, had not only comped the room, but had also left 2 comps for the Sunday buffet and 2 comps for a "Western Comedy Show" and an "Elvis" show.
Since we were only going to be at the EW a short time, I wasn't sure how we would manage to take advantage of all the freebies, and also play the required coin in to cover the room comp. Sue had said that the accrual of 350 points per day ($3500) was required for the room comp. This is less than half of my normal coin-in, but I usually have much more playing time.
We drag the wheelies to our room. I had been warned by vpFREELaughlin posters, that the
EW rooms were nothing special, and had pre-warned E.H. Our large room in the Sedona Towers was fine. Not fancy but perfectly adequate, and much more spacious, modern, and nicely furnished than the room at FR. We liked the good sized shower stall that contained a seat. The shower head and water pressure were excellent. There was room in the bathroom for two people. No complaints at all.
We were amused by a sign placed prominently on the desk, warning people NOT to open the windows lest the local wildlife enter. Their advice contained the note that if the critters got into the room, it could be very annoying. It seems that a large population of huge yellow moths had taken over the area around the Colorado River. When we pulled back the drapes to view the river (which was VERY low) swarms of the moths beat against our window. NO chance of my opening a window that night.
Dinnertime. My husband opted for fastfood (McD's chicken sandwich again) and I opted for nothing again since I was still full from our late buffet lunch. After that gourmet repast, we popped into the Elvis impersonater show for a few minutes, and watched a rather old Elvis (I guess the real Elvis would be getting up in years also, if he was still around) grunt, gyrate and sweat through "Blue Suede Shoes".
Rather than Elvis, I had visions of Deuces jumping around in my head, since I had noticed that
right in front of the showroom, were banks of .25 MG machines which included FPDW. After a soulful rendition of "Love Me Tender", I whispered to Excellent Husband that I was going to stake out 2 machines for us to play, before the show crowd broke, and beat us to it. Not being much of an Elvis fan, he followed me out of the showroom.
We sat down at an EMPTY bank of 8 (4 back-to-back) machines and proceeded to pound away at the deuces. We were mildly unhappy that these were all coin-droppers, as we had grown accostomed to the wonderful TITO machines at FR. Not to mind. NOTHING was dropping out. Clean hands! No buckets to lug! E.H. has deposited 4 Jacksons and received nothing back. I am working on Jackson #3 when 3 ducks appear, and I draw the 4th. This is much more like it. We continue to play for a several more hours. We did not score 4 Deuces again, but we were both getting lots of 5OAK and Deuce royals. They're nice too. E.H. gets most of his money back. I am ahead a couple of Bennies. Things have taken a turn for the better. We both get tired and decide to turn in.
The next morning I sleep until 4:30am. Wow! this is more like it. I shower, dress in a lighted bathroom, without disturbing my husband, and am ready for the casino on the day of my BIRTHDAY. E.H. opens one eye half way, as I start to exit the room, and sings a couple of bars of "Happy Birthday To You" and wishes me luck. Of course, I will do well on my birthday. Not!!
I play EVERY FPDW machine in both .25 banks. 16 in all. I can't find one that gives me anything. By the time E.H. joins me, I have blown away most of my Deuces win. He suggests that we have only coffee, until it's time for the large comped brunch. O.K. I';d rather play anyway.
I discover another large bank of .25 MG machines that contain FPDW. They're a few steps up from the banks near the showroom. I need to tackle these before we leave. Maybe I'm playing at the wrong bank. It occurs to me that perhaps, instead, I'm sitting on the wrong derriere. I briefly consider forgoing more vp and looking for the Western Comedy Show. I hold my breath until that thought passes into oblivion.
I also spot an MD (.26 & .50) bank of Double Aces & Faces near the showroom banks. DA&F is one of my very favorite plays. I can't find the fullpay version anywhere in LV or Reno. The one that pays 25 for the straight, 35 for the flush, and 45 for the full house. The only place I've ever seen it is in Mississippi, in Biloxi, Gulport and Tunica, at the Grand Casinos in each locale. I try the back-to-back bank of 8 DA&F, in quarters. No Aces! No Faces! Is this the way to treat a birthday girl? I'm getting crabby on my birthday. I go back to the Deuces and score a few good hands, but no biggies. I do have almost 500 points, however. E.H., who has a different card #, has about 270. I'm sure Sue will satisfied.
Finally, it's time for brunch. I'm starved, having skipped dinner the night before. The comp does NOT get us around the LONG line waiting for Sunday Brunch. We wait, and wait and WAIT. The lady in line in front of us, hears me complaining, and turns around to assure me that the EW brunch is the best in the world, and well worth waiting for. She's wrong. IMO, it was adequate but not nearly as good as the FR Sat. buffet. Anyway, we find plenty to eat, and head back for some more vp.
E.H. wishes to depart Laughlin at 1:00 pm for Flagstaff AZ, about a 3 hour ride. I sigh. I'm not happy that my birthday vp treat is coming to an end. Apparently, there is no end to the amount of punishment I am willing to endure, just to be playing vp.
We attack the bank of FPDW on the raised level. E.H. starts at one end. I start at the other. We meet in the middle at approximately 1:00. We have basically hung onto our initial investment, but not made much profit. One pitiful 4 deuces between us, for all that playing. Neither of us is down too much for the trip, but we're not covered with glory either.
My thanks to all the nice Laughlin posters who gave me good advice, and wished me luck. The advice was great. My luck took a cab.
The rest of this post is XVP. Skip the balance, if you prefer.
We checked out, said good-by and thanked Sue (who had also given us late check-out instead of the usual 11:00am) and stowed the wheelies in the trunk. As we pulled out of the parking lot, E.H. commented that gas prices were much higher in NV than in AZ. He noted, by the level of the gas gauge, that we had enough gas to get to Flagstaff, but that, if we were running low, he'd fill up on the highway.
Soon we were on the desolate, mostly 2 lane desert highway. We began to discuss dinner plans, for my birthday repast. Neither of us knew of any good restaurants in Flagstaff. We both decided that dining once, in the ever elegant Sizzler, was quite enough. As this dinner conversation was taking place, I spotted a road sign that advised that Flagstaff was 140 miles away and that Phoenix (our ultimate destination the next morning) was 190 miles.away. I thought of all the really GREAT restaurants in the Phoenix area. I knew that if we drove to Flagstaff and spent the night, that we'd still have a a 120 mile drive the next morning, instead of an additional 50 miles today. I also knew that we'd have to leave very early, the next day, as we had to be at the Cubs game, at noontime. I suggested that we skip Flagstaff and head straight back to Phoenix. The boss thought that was a great idea, so we turned off the route to Flagstaff, and picked up the junction road to Phoenix.
I called the hotel in Flagstaff on my cell phone, and cancelled the reservation. Then, I tried to call the hotel in Mesa to advise them that we'd be in a day early. Oh, oh.....no signal in the desert. I tried again and again. No success.
We drove many miles of desolate desert highway. Not a rest stop, town or gas station in sight. Now E.H notices that the gas tank gauge is heading towards empty. He pulls off the road and studies a map. The closest civilization is Wickenburg, AZ.......50 miles away. The name rings a bell. Before I left home, a thoughtful vpFREE poster, Bill (EZFromNwON) had emailed me about a wonderful ice cream parlor in Wickenburg, AZ. I timidly enquired if E.H. thought we'd be able to make 50 miles. He said, quite somberly, that he didn't know. This was extremely bad news, because he is the eternal non-worrying, optomist. Now, I'm really concerned. My imagination goes into overdrive as I visualize the two of us, sitting beside the car, in the hot desert, munching on stale cookies, United Airlines pathetic snack pretzels, and warm bottled water, for my BIRTHDAY dinner. The Sizzler suddenly seemed immensely appealing.
We drive on, alternatively watching the gas gauge, and the "no service" message on the phone. We eventually spot what looks like a closed gas station behind a chain link fence. In front of the fence a man was handing an SUV driver a container of gas. We pulled in behind the SUV, lowered the window, and asked if he could sell us some gas also. A very, VERY scary looking guy approached our car, and told us we could have 2 gallons for $40.00 ! Or, we could take our chances on reaching Wickenburg, now 15 miles away. We were so intimidated by his looks, that we both had the same thought. That, if we did pull out money to pay his extreme rip-off price, that he might try to relieve us of any other money we happened to be carrying. Quickly, raising the window, we got the heck out of there and back on to the highway.
The gas gauge was now below EMPTY. We drove along silently, hoping that we would make Wickenburg........... and miraculously, we did! We were on fumes when we coasted into the extremely busy gas station. The price on the pump was $2.57 a gallon, considerably more than it would have been in Nevada, but we were delighted to pay the price. Almost all of the customers had big sheepish grins on their faces, as they pumped the gas, happy, as we were, that their stupidity had not cost them much more dearly. So, vp buddies, learn from our mistake. NEVER get on a desert highway without a full tank of gas.
This tale ends happily, in Phoenix, where we dined on my birthday, in style, with the world's best steaks and a lovely red wine, at Morton's, a very pricey (but worth it) world class steak house.
Addedum: It snowed 13 inches worth, in Flagstaff, on the night of my BD. All highways were closed the next day. Had we actually gone to Flagstaff, we would have been stuck there, at least until the next day.
For those of you that made it to the end of this very long report, thanks for reading it. For those that nodded off, I fuly understand.
Cheers,
Babe
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