Just a word of advice:
If you need to get a passport for your child, get the passport before the kid is 9 months old; or else wait until the kid is 3.
Trying to get a passport photo - which requires the child to be still, leaning back up against a background - is damn near impossible when the kid is 18 months old.
Mar 31, 2010
Mar 30, 2010
Vegas Diary, Part 3
Before we move on to Saturday, two quick notes:
1. I have been advised that the incident at the UTH table with Blue Shirt guy was Thursday night, not Friday. Wiz and Layup swear they did not gamble after returning from the MGM on Friday night. Now that I think about it, they're right.
2. Freddie's basketball coach was in Vegas the same weekend. Most of you were aware that he invited us to a block party at O'Sheas on Wed night when we arrived. (I politely said "hmmm, we may not get in until later...I'll have to think about it). 
(go into Gene Rayburn Voice)
Their group got so wasted...
how wasted were they?
They got so wasted that his brother was thrown out of the Excalibur hotel.
I mean, just think about that for a second. Thrown out of the Excalibur.
The day opened as usual, with relaxing Pai Gow. I met two spearate dealers who were from Guangzhou, China - and I learned some things (but not too much) about that city that will be useful in the short term.
After winning a bit, over to the UTH table, where the Jerry Lewis Telethon (R) was just beginning! I think I was there during the first hour (but not the start) of the 12 hour UTH marathon. It was a bad start for all of us, and I picked up and left after about an hour or so.
So I went upstairs to change clothes, and came back down to the spa with my bathing suit in hand. The locker room attendant told me that I was free to use the facilities, including the whirlpool - here's your robe, and towels are over there. No suit required.
Um - what? I asked him to repeat. I don't need a suit?
After the massage, the team was in hour 4 of the telethon - and the tote board was negative. I joined in the fun - and promptly got killed again. That's when I got hungry, and Laura ordered deli sandwiches for us.
(I distinctly remember at least 4 times during this trip where Leland, Mike, Laura and I were at the craps table while the other 4 were over at UTH. Not exactly sure what that meant.)
As Jay said, there are things he can't unsee.
Here he is, with a $40,000 stake at the table, and a drunk idiot is giggling and lifting up his shirt. A proud moment for me. There was one other time I completely lost my emotions in Vegas - 2004, shortly after the stressful move to Iowa and I was convinced on this trip that Steve and Kermit were conspiring against me - but that was more of a breakdown. This was just......immaturity.
1. I have been advised that the incident at the UTH table with Blue Shirt guy was Thursday night, not Friday. Wiz and Layup swear they did not gamble after returning from the MGM on Friday night. Now that I think about it, they're right.
2. Freddie's basketball coach was in Vegas the same weekend. Most of you were aware that he invited us to a block party at O'Sheas on Wed night when we arrived. (I politely said "hmmm, we may not get in until later...I'll have to think about it).
I texted him before dinner on Friday to see where he was if he wanted to get together on Friday at some time. He wrote back - at that time - that he was partying at the Hard Rock. Well, with all of the delays, and dinner going way late, I never texted him back.
I saw him at the batting cages last weekend -and I asked him how it went. He said it's probably a good thing we didn't meet up, because........
(go into Gene Rayburn Voice)
Their group got so wasted...
how wasted were they?
They got so wasted that his brother was thrown out of the Excalibur hotel.
I mean, just think about that for a second. Thrown out of the Excalibur.
Ok, now on to
Saturday
The day opened as usual, with relaxing Pai Gow. I met two spearate dealers who were from Guangzhou, China - and I learned some things (but not too much) about that city that will be useful in the short term.
After winning a bit, over to the UTH table, where the Jerry Lewis Telethon (R) was just beginning! I think I was there during the first hour (but not the start) of the 12 hour UTH marathon. It was a bad start for all of us, and I picked up and left after about an hour or so.
Next up was a massage! So I hate to embarass myself on the blog (what else is new? -ed), but I have to relate this story to see if anyone else feels the way I do.
So I went upstairs to change clothes, and came back down to the spa with my bathing suit in hand. The locker room attendant told me that I was free to use the facilities, including the whirlpool - here's your robe, and towels are over there. No suit required.
Um - what? I asked him to repeat. I don't need a suit?
No, was the answer.
OK, I guess. It felt weird at the beginning. I confess, I haven't been in a male-only spa before. I got used to it fairly quickly - except for the fact of rooting for St Mary's with total strangers while only wearing a robe - but it was just an odd feeling to being with.
So after the massage and the spa experience, I headed over to the UTH table - suit in hand. And I carried my suit around for most of the afternoon - to the UTH table, to the book, I think I even played craps while laying my suit on the rail.
After the massage, the team was in hour 4 of the telethon - and the tote board was negative. I joined in the fun - and promptly got killed again. That's when I got hungry, and Laura ordered deli sandwiches for us.
I headed to the book to place more bets, and lingered - and came back and the sandwich was waiting there. What better place to scarf down a huge deli sandwich than standing up next to the UTH table!
I dipped my toe into the UTH pool again around hour 6 - and got it chopped off. No more. I swore UTH for the rest of the telethon. I think Leland swore it off as well, so we both headed over to the Craps table, quickly joined by Mike and Laura.
(I distinctly remember at least 4 times during this trip where Leland, Mike, Laura and I were at the craps table while the other 4 were over at UTH. Not exactly sure what that meant.)
Standing next to us at the craps table was a group of 3 guys here on a business trip, sharing one bankroll. It was funny at first to listen to them argue on how they were going to bet ("Press! Go to 25! Hard 6 now!") but after 15 minutes of the same antics, it got old. Fortunately, we were winning, so it was tolerable. It ended up being just one guy at the craps table with another guy standing on a slot machine chair shouting directions down to the guy at the table.
(Also - with the point being 5 - I kept singing the Subway 5 dollar foot long song for 15 straight rolls, as the female shooter refused to hit the point or seven out.)
Well, by now, the disaster of the UTH table was long forgotten, my big sports bets (why Leland and I didn't go 4 digits on Kentucky -9 vs Wake? )were coming in, and I was feelign pretty good after 14 Strwaberry Daiquiris at the UTH table and 5 Tom Collinses (yes, this drink made a comeback this trip!) at the craps table. On to Pai Gow.
It was 7 pm or so, I only had that turkey sandwich all day, and I was getting a bit drunk. In Pai Gow, if you have a good bottom hand - like a flush or a striaght - your top 2 cards are usually going to suck. Many players call this being "topless".
Well, I decided to act this out. I got a heart flush on the bottom and 5-3 up top. I turned to Leland and Jay to my right.
"You know what my top hand is?"
No, they answered.
I lifted up my shirt. "Topless!"
As Jay said, there are things he can't unsee.
Well, I thought I was hilarious that first time, so I repeated it at least 6 more times. I thought it was just as funny as the first - I'm sure Leland and Jay did not agree.
By the 4th time, I started laughing uncontrollably. I couldn't see out of my contacts. I just lost it for a good 2-3 minutes. The waitress hated me, I'm sure the dealer didn't like it, and (most embarrasingly) the guy at the other end of the table - who was betting $1000/hand, sometimes $5000 - did not like it.
Here he is, with a $40,000 stake at the table, and a drunk idiot is giggling and lifting up his shirt. A proud moment for me. There was one other time I completely lost my emotions in Vegas - 2004, shortly after the stressful move to Iowa and I was convinced on this trip that Steve and Kermit were conspiring against me - but that was more of a breakdown. This was just......immaturity.
(And do I regret it? Ummmmmm......no.)
With the UTH Marathon ending, we headed to Dos Caminos for dinner, which is always a letdown. The chips and guacamole are soooooooo good, it overshadows the dinner. My dinner came - and it was just ok. Dry beef. I don't know why I ordered what I ordered.
Back to the Mirage for the annual Satuday night $25 craps run, with predictable results. I was the worst roller of the group - actually, I sucked all trip in rolling. The auction that Layup detailed was memorable. My "Here we go, Hard 6, here we go" caught on for the first 4-5 rolls but then no one else had the energy to sustain for the rest of the rolls. Disappointing.
I have in my notes here that we went back to the UTH table after this; I was about 80% asleep. I think Wiz called this Bizarro Saturday night, as the eye candy we were expecting did not show up. It seemed like everyone weighed about 75 pounds more than we remembered from past Saturday nights.
Mar 28, 2010
Vegas Diary, Part 2
As we continue....
Friday
As usual, we start bright and early in the sportsbook at 5:00 in the morning. This time, it is a chocloate milk and V8.
Started the gambling day off with $25 BJ with everyone at a table - and promptly got destroyed. The start of a bad day? After a break - to the craps table, with Leland and Mike (and Laura) - in one of many craps runs with Leland. Got destroyed there.
Time for a break. Watched some games up in the room, like the end of the X-Minnesota game. Tried to take a nap, but my body wasn't having any of it. I had Temple (loser), Temple under (loser), X over (loser), and X. With 1 minute left, it was 65-52 X, so I turned it off and tried to sleep.
10 minutes later, my Dad texts me. "What a finish to the X game!".
Oh dear - did I go 0 - for - 4?
I check my phone - 67-53 was the final. X wins and covers, but the over did not hit. Just as I thought.
I texted Dad back. "What do you mean?"
"You got the over in the X game!" was the response.
Uh no, Dad, you are looking at the Temple game.
So with that conversation, my nap was officially ruined. As I was leaving to go downstairs, Layup came in - and he tried to nap. I was well awake by then and started officiating in the room for 30 minutes, keeping him awake. Finally, he said:
"Weren't you getting the hell out of here 20 minutes ago?"
Oh, yes. I wanted to take a break from gambling, so down to the book I went. Watched most of the afternoon games down there - Purdue-Siena (it was clear that 90% of the audience has Siena), Missouri-Clemson (the over in that game was the 2nd best lock of the week), Oakland-Pitt (a double loser), and Wofford-Wisconsin, where it was clear that 99% of the book could not care less about the game. I was the only one cheering any Wofford score as they covered and almost won outright.
I was by myself, stadning and watching the games peacefully, when a group of friends started to form in front of me. There were about 5-6 of them, 4 guys and 2 ladies, all in their mid 30's or so. Well, the two women started talking. And it wasn't about basketball. They were from California and started talking about La Jolla, the coast, where a recpetion would be, what parties were held next month - oh! it will be on the ocean!
And they were talking loud - trying to hold a converstaion in the book on NCAA weekend. I was fuming. But the games I was wagering on were looking good - so I couldn't move, could I? I just had to stand there and take the vocal abuse from the "Wives of OC" wannabes. Mike finally showed up and he was subjected to the noise for a while until the games ended.
It's a Vegas trip, so it was time for the $5 Columbus Blue Jackets gift for everyone! $5 on Columbus +1.5 at +200. A 3-goal third made everyone a winner on this trip (for the first time!)
Another meal for the day (my fourth, I think, which includes the V-8, Bouchon, a snack during the games, and now CPK), and a quick UTH run before heading to the MGM for dinner.
We got there around 6 or so. I had nothing on the Maryland game - but the "first to 15" bet intrigued me. Who would be the first to hit 15 points? Maryland was -170. This seems like a good bet - I figured Maryland would come out fast and get to a big lead, and then hang on at the end.
"Fast" is not what I would describe those first 10 minutes of the game. It was like a good tennis match between two baseline players. 5-4 Maryland. 6-5 Houston. 7-6. 8-7. 9-8. Would they hit it by halftime? Houston hit a three to go up 15-13, and that was that.
The MGM book was weird. I think I had a sign on me that said: "If you are black, talk to me!". During the game, a drunk black guy said something to me about Laura (who was next to me), and I think he said she's hot, obviously thinking she and I were an item. "Pardon me?" I said. He then apologized 11 times and walked away, and I was still flummoxed. After dinner another large black man was my best friend because we were both rooting for Syracuse. We need skyboxes in the sportsbook so we don't have to mingle with the hoi polloi.
More disaster with Mike at Blackjack where our dealer was threatened by a losing patron (although this was $15, and not the disaster of $50 that Wiz/Layup were dealing with). After getting out there after dinner, it was back to the UTH table for a final session that night - and a memorable story of our boorishness.
The location of our table was a prime one - right on the corner near the nightclub Revolution, so it was a good spot to see all the possible matchmaking that could go on. Three ladies stumbled out of the club - and the middle one was obviously drunk. A young guy, about 22 in a blue shirt, tried to make his move on the girl in the middle. All 5 of us were watching this last-ditch attempt by our blue shirt friend.
He failed. The ladies dragged the middle girl away and up the stairs. Immediately, we loudly booed the poor guy. "Boooooo! Sorry for your luck!" Startled (and drunk), he walked over and sat at the table (right next to me). He tried to defend himself, but he couldn't. And he was losing consciousness. He slumped in his chair, closed his eyes - but no, he awoke. He leaned over - Wiz put the odds of a puke at -110 - but no, he straightened. He tried to place a bet at the table - he pulled out two wadded $1 bills (at a $15 minimum table) - but then thought better of that.
After about 10 minutes, he arose and said "don't worry, I'll be back.". I set the line at 5-1 against him coming back in 10 minutes. Derek said yes, Wiz said no.
He never showed. I wonder what happened to him......
Mar 26, 2010
And now for the rest of the story
This trip was one for career highs in winning and losing. I just outlined my amazing craps run, so now lets highlight my losses. I only had one other winning session for the entire trip.
1. UTH Marathon: Saturday morning at 8:00am-8:00pm Wiz and I had a Jerry Lewis telethon going at the UTH table. Disaster struck both of us within the first hour and we were both scared that we wouldn't make it through even 3 hours. Some classic things came from this session:
3. BlackJack (Session 2): Played at the MGM. Was very impressed with the table setup at the MGM. I really enjoyed it. Great dealers, great lighting, and TVs. Was having a great time with Wiz, until he went to cut the cards and the card bounced out of the decks. It was like the 6 deck shoe spat out the cut card. I've never seen anything like it. And as usual, it was a bad omen. I got destroyed. Tried to change up the rhythm by playing two hands. Not the smartest of moves during a bad shoe. Ended up getting killed. Killed actually is an understatement.
4. $25 craps: Played craps with Eric, Lee, Wiz, Jay, and Laura at the Mirage at the $25 table. Reason number 4,175 why Wiz and I shouldn't be gambling together. We had an auction on the hard 6. I would put $25 on the hard six, then Wiz would say $30, then I said $35, and so on. It ended at $110 for Wiz and $105 for me. And it didn't hit. I can't tell you what would of happened if that would of hit. A total riot would of taken place.
5. $5 craps: Went back to the Sahara for seconds with Jay and Laura on Sunday. What a great time. Despite losing $250, it brought us the strangest interaction with several strangers at the table.
1. UTH Marathon: Saturday morning at 8:00am-8:00pm Wiz and I had a Jerry Lewis telethon going at the UTH table. Disaster struck both of us within the first hour and we were both scared that we wouldn't make it through even 3 hours. Some classic things came from this session:
- 6 and 9 down cards= Mrs. Zahn. Classic. And heaven forbid that a 6 or 9 came up on the flop and then it turned into a graphic letter to the editor to Playboy.
- Discussion between the table on what item would be shoved up our ass by the dealer when we went in 4 X pre flop. There were stretches where the dealer was pulling full houses and quads to beat any type of hand we had. Ugh.
- Take out. Nothing better than plowing through a full pizza by myself table side. I'm surprised I didn't get sick. And then watching Eric run around the casino with a half of turkey sandwich, almost made me throw up. Not that he was eating the sandwich, but that he was walking around in the casino with it.
- Announcing by Eric and company as if the UTH table was a golf tourney. Classic.
2. Rest of UTH: 90% of my gaming involved UTH. And I lost my ass. I'm sure this was the same for Wiz, Don, and Mike. I gambled with Don and Mike more this trip than all other trips combined. And it was a blast. Don't think I can go back to playing pai gow as the game to get drunk on while gambling. Too slow. Some other highlights:
- Our mutual hatred for many of the dealers: Thought that I got some dealer fired due to an integrity issue on a payout that I tried to give back. I was also told by one of the dealers that my wife will divorce me because I came out to Vegas without her.
- Other players at the table- Grandma and Grandpa were there again. Carol and I gambled with them in November. They smell, complain, and are just terrible people.
- Don might be elected into the Vegas hall of fame for the creation of the UTH card.
- One dealer told us a story about losing $4,000 to quad 5's during a real poker game and his next hand he dealt was quad 5s. He wasn't too happy.
- Hovering- Two DBs stood there and laughed at Wiz, Don, and I when the dealer pulled quads that bet all of our full houses, with me then looking at them and saying some very choice words. We almost had another slot machine incident.
- The blame game- Loved blaming the person next to you for getting the same cards as you have. Nothing is better. And there is nothing worse than someone not working as a team at the table. Hiding their cards and not sharing. Ugh. I think I'm going to make a Norms and Values card to share with the table on proper table behavior.
2. BlackJack (Session 1): Only had two sessions and got absolutely destroyed. That's actually an understatement. On Thursday night I was so desperate to play BJ, that Wiz and I sat at an empty table that was in a high foot traffic area. It was so bad that someone with a suitcase clipped my chair as they were walking by. And it wasn't like I was playing $10 BJ. I was playing $100 a hand. And I get clipped by a fucking suitcase by some asshole. Think I lost 17 hands in a row. Session lasted 20 minutes for me.
3. BlackJack (Session 2): Played at the MGM. Was very impressed with the table setup at the MGM. I really enjoyed it. Great dealers, great lighting, and TVs. Was having a great time with Wiz, until he went to cut the cards and the card bounced out of the decks. It was like the 6 deck shoe spat out the cut card. I've never seen anything like it. And as usual, it was a bad omen. I got destroyed. Tried to change up the rhythm by playing two hands. Not the smartest of moves during a bad shoe. Ended up getting killed. Killed actually is an understatement.
4. $25 craps: Played craps with Eric, Lee, Wiz, Jay, and Laura at the Mirage at the $25 table. Reason number 4,175 why Wiz and I shouldn't be gambling together. We had an auction on the hard 6. I would put $25 on the hard six, then Wiz would say $30, then I said $35, and so on. It ended at $110 for Wiz and $105 for me. And it didn't hit. I can't tell you what would of happened if that would of hit. A total riot would of taken place.
5. $5 craps: Went back to the Sahara for seconds with Jay and Laura on Sunday. What a great time. Despite losing $250, it brought us the strangest interaction with several strangers at the table.
- There were some gangsters on the other end and the one guy rolled the dice with authority. He would hit the back wall on the fly, with no arch. And the way he did it was so cool. As Laura stated before, it was like he was throwing a right cross and then the dice would come flying out. And he was a good roller which made Jay and I scream like little girls while he was rolling.
- Some young loner dude next to Jay had a very interesting style of betting which I think we should analyze more on a latter post. He would switch back and forth between the pass and don't pass and when he thought the table was getting cold, he would place a large wager on the come. It worked out very well for him. So much so that at first he bought Jay and I the hard 10 for 5 a piece. We felt a little awkward so we bought him one as well. Then he bought the entire table (full table mind you) the hard 4 for $5. Then when Laura was rolling well again, he bought the entire table the hard 10 for $25 a piece. Jay whispered to me that if Laura hits it, he was tackling me into the craps pit like someone hitting a buzzer beater. Once again the dealers were awesome and were just as vested in the rolls as we were. The stick guy was like Gus Johnson calling out the numbers. WE HAVE ONE FIVE AND.......oh a four." Amazing time again.
Overall the trip was amazing. Maybe one of the best I've been on, despite giving back the winnings and then some. Can't wait for next year.
Ahhh The Sahara
I sill haven't recovered fully from Vegas. I'm really depressed being back. I'll do more of a running diary over the weekend, but wanted to post about my trip down to the Sahara.
So on Thursday the boys go off to go golfing, leaving Jay, Laura, and myself behind. After putsing around for a couple of hours, we end up heading down to the Sahara to roll some craps with my friend Dick and Brad. Now my experiences at the Sahara are either really good or really bad. Jay and I had a great experience several years back when the craps table got extremely hot and we won about $500-$600, and then last year it went super cold and I lost over $1000 at a $5 table.
So we all squeeze onto a fairly packed table. I put down $150 and I decided not to do my normal come bets and just place some numbers (6,8,and 9). It was choppy for a short period of time, and then Laura came to roll and it got out of control. Laura was unstoppable, hitting the big numbers left and right. And when she rolled a 6 or an 8, it was the hard way. So I started to press my bets. I must of hit 3 or 4 hard ways with $50 on the number. My 6, 8, and 9 started to get pretty large. In the middle of the roll I had more than $100 on each of those numbers and by the later stage they each had over $500 on it. And she kept on hitting the freaking numbers. She even hit a hard 8 which I had $100 sitting there. It got so crazy at the table that Dick ended up punching me in the head as when Laura hit another freaking hard way.
There were a couple of real cool things that then happened:
So on Thursday the boys go off to go golfing, leaving Jay, Laura, and myself behind. After putsing around for a couple of hours, we end up heading down to the Sahara to roll some craps with my friend Dick and Brad. Now my experiences at the Sahara are either really good or really bad. Jay and I had a great experience several years back when the craps table got extremely hot and we won about $500-$600, and then last year it went super cold and I lost over $1000 at a $5 table.
So we all squeeze onto a fairly packed table. I put down $150 and I decided not to do my normal come bets and just place some numbers (6,8,and 9). It was choppy for a short period of time, and then Laura came to roll and it got out of control. Laura was unstoppable, hitting the big numbers left and right. And when she rolled a 6 or an 8, it was the hard way. So I started to press my bets. I must of hit 3 or 4 hard ways with $50 on the number. My 6, 8, and 9 started to get pretty large. In the middle of the roll I had more than $100 on each of those numbers and by the later stage they each had over $500 on it. And she kept on hitting the freaking numbers. She even hit a hard 8 which I had $100 sitting there. It got so crazy at the table that Dick ended up punching me in the head as when Laura hit another freaking hard way.
There were a couple of real cool things that then happened:
- There must of been 4-5 floor managers and supervisors hovering over the table. And they all looked like old time gangsters. Dick whispered to me "Um, your not making it out of here with all of their money" and I actually believed him.
- Dust- its cool to see the dust circles from the stacks of chips that are pulled from the main craps bank, but at this table it was amazing. We must of removed 3 full rows of chips from the main craps bank.
- I easily made the dealers over $500. Laura was hitting points where I had $5 for the dealers backed with $25 odds.
- I had a full row of black chips and another row of green chips.
- I will never forget Tommy and AJ, our two amazing dealers. Tommy forgot to pay out on my place bet once because he was so excited about the hard ways. I have never seen dealers act like players before. It was awesome. And it took at least 5 minutes between rolls to pay out on all the action. And they weren't slow.
- I over $2000 on the table when Laura finally crapped out.
- I remember that we started to play craps at the start of the evening games, and when I looked up and caught the scores on the TV, it was already in the second half. Wow.
So after Laura crapped out, we decided to stay a little longer and the table was still a little warm. I actually had a very good roll that brought me another $1000. After it cooled off, I wanted to cash out and put all my chips on the table. The pit boss asked me to pick up all the blacks stating that they don't have any chips higher than $100s. Hmmmm, so how am I supposed to carry all this shit over to the cage? So with chips in hand I run over to the cage not really knowing how much I have. The cashier is in awe and asks for my ID and a couple of other items and comes back and asks if I want my money strapped. Strapped? What the heck does that mean? Sir, we strap $100s in $5,000 bundles. Would you like that? Ummm, sure.
I ended up with $6300 on $150 outlay at a $5 table. Now the problem was how to get out of the casino without being noticed. I had to take a piss, so Jay watched my back with a Miller High Life bottle when I took a piss and Laura, Jay, and I sprinted to the cab line and made it home safely.
Unbelievable. The most amazing experience of my gambling life and its all thanks to Laura.
Mar 25, 2010
Vegas Diary, Part 1 (of ??)
Well, another Vegas trip has come and gone. As some have remarked rarlier, it's true: the Tuesday after the trip really is the worst day of the year.
What's the point of the diaries? Well, I think it's 30% to have others fill in hazy details from the trip, 20% to make sure all hilarity and craziness is documents, and 50% for entertainment in the future, when you re-read this diary 2, 3, 4 years from now or later.
So here we go, trying to put together the pieces from a particularly hazy trip:
Wednesday:
Arrived with Don and Mike around 6 pm or so after a record retrieval of bags from baggage claim. Of course, walked by the casino and saw the crowd already parked at the UTH table. After unpacking and cleaning up, Layup left for dinner with his boss and we got started.
Unbelieveably, my first action on this trip was not UTH, nor Pai Gow, nor craps - it was Blackjack switch with Wiz. Boy, was I out of practice - and that game messes you up. I hit on 13 vs a 4 twice (and Wiz didn't even catch me before it was too late!). Wiz switched his cards, and then decided to unswitch. A huddle of the dealer and floor person followed, with the decision being that you can unswitch.
A winning UTH session and then a mediocre craps session followed, then more UTH where more losing followed. A theme for the week? I don't recall any of these sessions. I decided I had enough and headed up around 12:30 or so.
Thursday
4:00! My body woke up bright and early at 4. I tried to stay in bed as long as I could - 4:30? 4:45? - before I had to get up. First, I checked the PGA tour web site to see when my pick, Vijay Singh, would be teeing off. Wiz got us all into a $25 side bet on our golfers for this. Vijay would be teeing off around 8:30 eastern. Cool!
Headed down to the sportsbook at 5 - with a V8 and Strawberry milk in hand. Made all the wagers within 90 minutes.....during that time, decided to check the leaderboard to see how Vijay was doing.
Hmmmm....not there. Why not?
It's past 8:30 in the east. Why isn't he on the leaderboard? His name is nowhere to be found. This can't be good.......he ended up with a WD as his back flared up. That's what I get for picking a 49 year old guy.
Jay's best bet for the day was the Old Dominion - Notre Dame under. Well, as soon as the game tipped (and we had our customary 9:00 tipoff handshake), he's rooting for the four corners - and for the shot clock to be shown on the screen. He channelled his inner Richard Dawson on every possession.... as each possession was winding down, he would loudly request:
"Show me......SHOT CLOCK!"
He ended up winning his bet.
Left Layup high and dry at the craps table...it was 10:45, and we decided to play craps. I had to leave for golf at 11:30, so I was thinking to myself that I could only play for about 30 minutes. I got the chips in the middle of the roll, and decided to wait until the point was made (or sevened out). I usually bet the 6's and the 8's; I then saw the rolls come out as:
10
8
6
5
8
6
8
I was beside myself. I was furious. I grabbed all my chips, apologized to Layup, and went right to the cashier. Net on that session: $0.
Golf was ok, I guess, for the first round of the year. Great course; it just took a while to find any sort of rhythm. I do know where I was when I found out that Sam Houston covered (7th green), Murray St won at the buzzer (6th tee), and the Butler/UTEP over hit (16th fairway).
Leland mentioned he went in on the Ohio Money Line - they got off to a hot start. That can't possibly win, can it?
As we were driving back, I got some cryptic texts from Layup about winning big - big? how big? - at the Sahara, of all places. I'll let him give more details.
Leland and I went in on the Wake money line, since "you couldn't afford not to bet it". It did come through as two terribly coached teams fumbled chance after chance away in regulation and overtime. Dinner with Layup's boss - where I did not embarass myself, unlike the next night - two winning craps sessions (I think at least one was with Mike and Laura - is that right?) and a final, ending UTH session that netted me $300 - it was a good day, with the exception of Vijay.
What's the point of the diaries? Well, I think it's 30% to have others fill in hazy details from the trip, 20% to make sure all hilarity and craziness is documents, and 50% for entertainment in the future, when you re-read this diary 2, 3, 4 years from now or later.
So here we go, trying to put together the pieces from a particularly hazy trip:
Wednesday:
Arrived with Don and Mike around 6 pm or so after a record retrieval of bags from baggage claim. Of course, walked by the casino and saw the crowd already parked at the UTH table. After unpacking and cleaning up, Layup left for dinner with his boss and we got started.
Unbelieveably, my first action on this trip was not UTH, nor Pai Gow, nor craps - it was Blackjack switch with Wiz. Boy, was I out of practice - and that game messes you up. I hit on 13 vs a 4 twice (and Wiz didn't even catch me before it was too late!). Wiz switched his cards, and then decided to unswitch. A huddle of the dealer and floor person followed, with the decision being that you can unswitch.
A winning UTH session and then a mediocre craps session followed, then more UTH where more losing followed. A theme for the week? I don't recall any of these sessions. I decided I had enough and headed up around 12:30 or so.
Thursday
4:00! My body woke up bright and early at 4. I tried to stay in bed as long as I could - 4:30? 4:45? - before I had to get up. First, I checked the PGA tour web site to see when my pick, Vijay Singh, would be teeing off. Wiz got us all into a $25 side bet on our golfers for this. Vijay would be teeing off around 8:30 eastern. Cool!
Headed down to the sportsbook at 5 - with a V8 and Strawberry milk in hand. Made all the wagers within 90 minutes.....during that time, decided to check the leaderboard to see how Vijay was doing.
Hmmmm....not there. Why not?
It's past 8:30 in the east. Why isn't he on the leaderboard? His name is nowhere to be found. This can't be good.......he ended up with a WD as his back flared up. That's what I get for picking a 49 year old guy.
Jay's best bet for the day was the Old Dominion - Notre Dame under. Well, as soon as the game tipped (and we had our customary 9:00 tipoff handshake), he's rooting for the four corners - and for the shot clock to be shown on the screen. He channelled his inner Richard Dawson on every possession.... as each possession was winding down, he would loudly request:
"Show me......SHOT CLOCK!"
He ended up winning his bet.
Left Layup high and dry at the craps table...it was 10:45, and we decided to play craps. I had to leave for golf at 11:30, so I was thinking to myself that I could only play for about 30 minutes. I got the chips in the middle of the roll, and decided to wait until the point was made (or sevened out). I usually bet the 6's and the 8's; I then saw the rolls come out as:
10
8
6
5
8
6
8
I was beside myself. I was furious. I grabbed all my chips, apologized to Layup, and went right to the cashier. Net on that session: $0.
Golf was ok, I guess, for the first round of the year. Great course; it just took a while to find any sort of rhythm. I do know where I was when I found out that Sam Houston covered (7th green), Murray St won at the buzzer (6th tee), and the Butler/UTEP over hit (16th fairway).
Leland mentioned he went in on the Ohio Money Line - they got off to a hot start. That can't possibly win, can it?
As we were driving back, I got some cryptic texts from Layup about winning big - big? how big? - at the Sahara, of all places. I'll let him give more details.
Leland and I went in on the Wake money line, since "you couldn't afford not to bet it". It did come through as two terribly coached teams fumbled chance after chance away in regulation and overtime. Dinner with Layup's boss - where I did not embarass myself, unlike the next night - two winning craps sessions (I think at least one was with Mike and Laura - is that right?) and a final, ending UTH session that netted me $300 - it was a good day, with the exception of Vijay.
Mar 15, 2010
NIT
For those of you interested, we will be holding a NIT pool. The bracket can be found at the below address. Please call me or email me your picks.
http://www.nit.org/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nit/sports/m-nit/auto_pdf/2010bracket
http://www.nit.org/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nit/sports/m-nit/auto_pdf/2010bracket
Mar 14, 2010
2010 Vegas Planning
I'm sure we will be referring to this often tomorrow:
Schedule of Games
All Times Pacific Time
Thu 9:15 am
7 BYU v 10 Florida
6 Notre Dame v 11 Old Dominion
2 Villanova v 15 Robert Morris
Thu 11:30 am
4 Vanderbilt v 13 Murray St
2 Kansas St v 15 North Texas
3 Baylor v 14 Sam Houston St
7 Richmond v 10 St Mary's
Thu 1:45 pm
5 Butler v 12 UTEP
Thu 4:10 pm
8 UNLV v 9 Northern Iowa
1 Kentucky v 16 E Tenn St
6 Marquette v 11 Washington
3 Georgetown v 14 Ohio
Thu 6:30 pm
1 Kansas v 16 Lehigh
8 Texas v 9 Wake Forest
3 New Mexico v 14 Montana
6 Tennessee v 11 San Diego St
Fri 9:15 am
2 West Virginia v 15 Morgan St
6 Xavier v 11 Minnesota
5 Temple v 12 Cornell
Fri 11:30 am
4 Purdue v 13 Siena
7 Clemson v 10 Missouri
3 Pittsburgh v 14 Oakland
4 Wisconsin v 13 Wofford
Fri 1:45 pm
5 Texas A&M v 12 Utah St
Fri 4:15 pm
7 Oklahoma St v 10 Georgia Tech
5 Michigan St v 12 New Mexico St
8 Gonzaga v 9 Florida St
1 Duke vs 16 Winthrop / Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Fri 6:30 pm
1 Syracuse v 16 Vermont
2 Ohio St v 15 Cal-Santa Barbara
4 Maryland v 13 Houston
8 California v 9 Louisville
Schedule of Games
All Times Pacific Time
Thu 9:15 am
7 BYU v 10 Florida
6 Notre Dame v 11 Old Dominion
2 Villanova v 15 Robert Morris
Thu 11:30 am
4 Vanderbilt v 13 Murray St
2 Kansas St v 15 North Texas
3 Baylor v 14 Sam Houston St
7 Richmond v 10 St Mary's
Thu 1:45 pm
5 Butler v 12 UTEP
Thu 4:10 pm
8 UNLV v 9 Northern Iowa
1 Kentucky v 16 E Tenn St
6 Marquette v 11 Washington
3 Georgetown v 14 Ohio
Thu 6:30 pm
1 Kansas v 16 Lehigh
8 Texas v 9 Wake Forest
3 New Mexico v 14 Montana
6 Tennessee v 11 San Diego St
Fri 9:15 am
2 West Virginia v 15 Morgan St
6 Xavier v 11 Minnesota
5 Temple v 12 Cornell
Fri 11:30 am
4 Purdue v 13 Siena
7 Clemson v 10 Missouri
3 Pittsburgh v 14 Oakland
4 Wisconsin v 13 Wofford
Fri 1:45 pm
5 Texas A&M v 12 Utah St
Fri 4:15 pm
7 Oklahoma St v 10 Georgia Tech
5 Michigan St v 12 New Mexico St
8 Gonzaga v 9 Florida St
1 Duke vs 16 Winthrop / Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Fri 6:30 pm
1 Syracuse v 16 Vermont
2 Ohio St v 15 Cal-Santa Barbara
4 Maryland v 13 Houston
8 California v 9 Louisville
Security Counsel Help
I submit to you the following text from March 13, 2010 at 6:35PM
3 purdue vs 14 Akron?
Just exactly, what is the sanction for this egregious violation of Gooch protocol?
Mar 13, 2010
What I look forward to...
When we starting seriously thinking about Vegas (with about, oh, 2-3 months left before the trip), there are certain moments that happen every year and become the lasting memories of each trip. I'm not talking about one-time events, like a broken bone or a illegally cleaned golf ball. I'm talking about trivial traditions or routines that are a part of my trip.
So, I'm looking forward to:
- seeing the Vegas skyline as the plane lands into McCarron - that always gets the blood rushing
- seeing what billboards/advertisments have changed in the baggage claim area
- seeing the sports board for the first time on Wed night
- waking up at 4:00 am on Thursday and heading down to the book to make bets
- the thrill of indecision as I figure how much to wager on the first set of picks
- the 9:00 am handshake from Jay as the tournament tips
- heading outside for the first time every morning and breathing in fresh air
- being offered the "dragon" in Pai Gow
- trying to play UTH while straining to see the TVs in the poker pit
- the random trip to another casino where all sorts of unique adentures await
- the gambling trip after dinner on Friday to parts unknown
- playing craps with a coffee in hand every morning
- all of us owning all seats at a blackjack table at some point
- making frantic runs to the sports book based on some illogical tip from Wiz/Leland/Don/(and even Eric)
- all of you begging to see my touenament guide at some point
- when we flood a craps table, and for an instant, I hesitate on whether I should bet on the pass or don't pass (due to all of the great rollers in the group)
- watching at a safe distance when Layup/Wiz go on their roulette run
- a relaxing Saturday - at the pool, at the book,...
- the roar of the crowd during any random NCAA game
- the adrenaline rush when 3 of the 4 legs of my over/under parlay has hit.......
- .....and bitching to you all when fate causes the 4th leg to lose
- the sunday night dinner as we are all exhausted
- leaving on Monday feeling completely satisfied
So, I'm looking forward to:
- seeing the Vegas skyline as the plane lands into McCarron - that always gets the blood rushing
- seeing what billboards/advertisments have changed in the baggage claim area
- seeing the sports board for the first time on Wed night
- waking up at 4:00 am on Thursday and heading down to the book to make bets
- the thrill of indecision as I figure how much to wager on the first set of picks
- the 9:00 am handshake from Jay as the tournament tips
- heading outside for the first time every morning and breathing in fresh air
- being offered the "dragon" in Pai Gow
- trying to play UTH while straining to see the TVs in the poker pit
- the random trip to another casino where all sorts of unique adentures await
- the gambling trip after dinner on Friday to parts unknown
- playing craps with a coffee in hand every morning
- all of us owning all seats at a blackjack table at some point
- making frantic runs to the sports book based on some illogical tip from Wiz/Leland/Don/(and even Eric)
- all of you begging to see my touenament guide at some point
- when we flood a craps table, and for an instant, I hesitate on whether I should bet on the pass or don't pass (due to all of the great rollers in the group)
- watching at a safe distance when Layup/Wiz go on their roulette run
- a relaxing Saturday - at the pool, at the book,...
- the roar of the crowd during any random NCAA game
- the adrenaline rush when 3 of the 4 legs of my over/under parlay has hit.......
- .....and bitching to you all when fate causes the 4th leg to lose
- the sunday night dinner as we are all exhausted
- leaving on Monday feeling completely satisfied
Mar 10, 2010
Possible Press Conference: Sunday, Mar 21
I hope someone does not give this soliloquy at the end of our trip:
This Vegas group - you're ruthless. You don't deserve to win money in Vegas.
I will never forget being at the craps table and being cheered when my bankroll was getting injured.
I know at times I wasn't great at rolling the dice. I hope and pray I'll be playing the don'ts when you come to town and plays craps - and I will roll you.
This Vegas group - you're ruthless. You don't deserve to win money in Vegas.
I will never forget being at the craps table and being cheered when my bankroll was getting injured.
I know at times I wasn't great at rolling the dice. I hope and pray I'll be playing the don'ts when you come to town and plays craps - and I will roll you.
Mar 7, 2010
What do you bring to the table?
Hello again, friends. Lot of topics to blog about, most notably the NCAA tournament. I know I say this every year, but I really mean it this time: This is the weakest bubble (or dare I say, the weakest field) I have ever seen. Some examples:
- Notre Dame, who lost at home to Loyola Marymount, is considered in with 1 win in the Big East tourney.
- Wake Forest, who has lost thier last 5 games, is considered in;
- St Mary's, who can't get over the hump and beat Gonzaga, is just sitting around and at this point is in as others flail aroudn them (Dayton, UConn, Illinois, Ga Tech....)
- Va Tech is in with the 340th (yes, that's right) toughest out-of-conference schedule
- You will all crap your pants on Sunday when New Mexico is listed as a 2 seed....their coach? Steve Alford.....who took Iowa to the NCAAs in 2006 as a #3 seed.......and this is what happened....
- And Vanderbilt (who just lost at home to a weak team) is a 3, Kansas St (who lost at home to Iowa St) is a 2, and Duke - who has won 1 road game this year against a top 50 opponent - is a #1.
Maryland is playing their way nicely to a protected seed - maybe a #4 in Jacksonville? - against a #13 seed like.....Akron or Kent. Batten down the hatches in Vegas.
Anyway, more bubble talk later.
Let's turn out thoughts toward the table games....and I wanted to collect your thoughts on how much you bring to a table for a session? For instance, there is a $10 blackjack table open. What are you taking out of your wallet when you sit down?
To the games:
Craps: The hard one first. I used to think that $100 was sufficient at a $5 table - but not anymore. To feel comfortable, I think $200 at a $5 table would last you through a lot of bad luck. So that's 40x the minimum bet......
....but I don't follow this advice at the higher levels. That's just too much, and as the limits get higher, I become more conservative.
So - my rule of thumb:
40x the minimum for $5, and I need to do this for a $10 table too.
30x for $15 and up. That's now $750 for a drunken Sat night craps run......wow.
Blackjack: Well, you are talking to someone who made $20 last for 2 hours at a $5 table in Green Bay back in 1998. I think $125 is good for a $5 table to weather the storm - that's 25x. Does this translate? No, not really. At higher levels ($15 and up), I just take 20x. And I don't even do that at a $25 table.
My rule for 2010:
20x the minimum for blackjack.
Pai Gow/Pai Gow Poker: Given the small variance in this game (unless your last name is Dietrich), I think 12x is fine. This is $300 for a $25 table, which is about right.
12x-15x the minimum here.
Ultimate Texas Holdem: The granddaddy of them all. A great article on my new favorite website shows some good statistical details on this game. This looks at the probability of busting out vs. doubling up (or winning a pre-determined amount of money). With a starting bankroll of only 20 antes, it's a 33% chance that you bust out in 3 hours. With a larger starting bankroll, you stay in the game longer (obviously) and have a better chance of getting a profit at some time.
There is a 1.5% to bust out after 3 hours if you bring 100 antes to the table - that $500 for a $5 game! I can't do that. I don't think I can do 50x - $500 for a $10 table? I think 40x is the right level for me.
Roulette: Oh for God's sake, take $100 and enjoy the ride. No analysis here. If I need to put something, how about 20x the minimum.
Sports: There's really no set rule here - we can do the statisical analysis that I laid out two years ago to determine an appropriate level of wagering at the book. I hope to decrease the number of wagers this year (again) and place larger bets on the lower number of tickets. We'll see if I have the self discipline to do that.
Let's see some comments now, gentlemen (and ladies). It's less than two weeks and no one is commenting.
- Notre Dame, who lost at home to Loyola Marymount, is considered in with 1 win in the Big East tourney.
- Wake Forest, who has lost thier last 5 games, is considered in;
- St Mary's, who can't get over the hump and beat Gonzaga, is just sitting around and at this point is in as others flail aroudn them (Dayton, UConn, Illinois, Ga Tech....)
- Va Tech is in with the 340th (yes, that's right) toughest out-of-conference schedule
- You will all crap your pants on Sunday when New Mexico is listed as a 2 seed....their coach? Steve Alford.....who took Iowa to the NCAAs in 2006 as a #3 seed.......and this is what happened....
- And Vanderbilt (who just lost at home to a weak team) is a 3, Kansas St (who lost at home to Iowa St) is a 2, and Duke - who has won 1 road game this year against a top 50 opponent - is a #1.
Maryland is playing their way nicely to a protected seed - maybe a #4 in Jacksonville? - against a #13 seed like.....Akron or Kent. Batten down the hatches in Vegas.
Anyway, more bubble talk later.
Let's turn out thoughts toward the table games....and I wanted to collect your thoughts on how much you bring to a table for a session? For instance, there is a $10 blackjack table open. What are you taking out of your wallet when you sit down?
To the games:
Craps: The hard one first. I used to think that $100 was sufficient at a $5 table - but not anymore. To feel comfortable, I think $200 at a $5 table would last you through a lot of bad luck. So that's 40x the minimum bet......
....but I don't follow this advice at the higher levels. That's just too much, and as the limits get higher, I become more conservative.
So - my rule of thumb:
40x the minimum for $5, and I need to do this for a $10 table too.
30x for $15 and up. That's now $750 for a drunken Sat night craps run......wow.
Blackjack: Well, you are talking to someone who made $20 last for 2 hours at a $5 table in Green Bay back in 1998. I think $125 is good for a $5 table to weather the storm - that's 25x. Does this translate? No, not really. At higher levels ($15 and up), I just take 20x. And I don't even do that at a $25 table.
My rule for 2010:
20x the minimum for blackjack.
Pai Gow/Pai Gow Poker: Given the small variance in this game (unless your last name is Dietrich), I think 12x is fine. This is $300 for a $25 table, which is about right.
12x-15x the minimum here.
Ultimate Texas Holdem: The granddaddy of them all. A great article on my new favorite website shows some good statistical details on this game. This looks at the probability of busting out vs. doubling up (or winning a pre-determined amount of money). With a starting bankroll of only 20 antes, it's a 33% chance that you bust out in 3 hours. With a larger starting bankroll, you stay in the game longer (obviously) and have a better chance of getting a profit at some time.
There is a 1.5% to bust out after 3 hours if you bring 100 antes to the table - that $500 for a $5 game! I can't do that. I don't think I can do 50x - $500 for a $10 table? I think 40x is the right level for me.
Roulette: Oh for God's sake, take $100 and enjoy the ride. No analysis here. If I need to put something, how about 20x the minimum.
Sports: There's really no set rule here - we can do the statisical analysis that I laid out two years ago to determine an appropriate level of wagering at the book. I hope to decrease the number of wagers this year (again) and place larger bets on the lower number of tickets. We'll see if I have the self discipline to do that.
Let's see some comments now, gentlemen (and ladies). It's less than two weeks and no one is commenting.
Mar 4, 2010
My memory is going.
Last week I was trying to remember all of my March Madness trips over the years and it was a disaster. Wow, my memory was shot. And since we didn't take a lot of pictures (except for one picture of Ty doing the "Suck It" thing with his arms outside of the MGM), I don't have a lot of things to go off of. Even Eric and Lee couldn't put it all together. And while Laura added some good insight she too is blanking on a couple of years. I think Laura came up with a great idea of creating a Wikipedia page dedicated to our trips so we can look back years from now to remember. So onto the timeline:
1997- First trip out to Vegas. Stayed at the newly opened Monte Carlo. I roomed with Jeff, Michele, and Niki Topper. I remember coming back late one night hammered and taking off my patch and slapping it on Niki's forehead. Chuck joined us, where he got me hooked on roulette and taught me how to gamble on a budget of $50 a day. Nogle was there as well and taught me that it was ok to drink beer out of a bag out by the pool. And we discovered the lazy river that had shards of glass in it. Oh and I went out to the Hover Dam.
1998- I know I went, but can't remember anything.
1999-Laura's first year. Stayed at the MGM. I took Amy with me and roomed with Lee and Bridget. I remember being overwhelmed at the size of the MGM casino.
2000-No idea.
2001-Terps final 4 year. I know that I was out there since I won a bet on the over for combined points and rebounds for Lonny Baxter. No idea who I roomed with. Laura advised that Kerri, Alicia and Licia were out there that year. Wiz and Leland rented a van to drive out to California for the MD game. Year of fateful Cheetahs trip.
2002-Terps National Championship. I think I roomed with Blondie and Eric. Maybe? I can't really remember. This is the start of the Robbie and Ghettor years where there was a lot of poker and drinking.
2003 - Per Laua- "Butler County/Drew Nicholas/broken glasses trip. This was my first time out there with Eric and the trip was right after we started bombing in Iraq. I remember fighting with Eric for weeks via email about the war following this trip. Also fought the don't-pass infidels at craps." Ah yes, the vaunted don't pass line issue.
2004- Think I went out with Sooz, her sister, one of her friend Amanda, and a guy from work, Scott Jenks. First time I drove out to Vegas and got pulled over with open containers in the car and apparently I was driving on a suspended license. And the cop was totally cool and said if one of the two girls in the car has a valid drivers license and can pass a sobriety test, I'll let you off. I am forever indebted to Sooz's sister for coming through in the clutch and passing that test!!!!
2005-Another Robbie/Ghettor year. No idea what went on. I think this is where I played poker with Robbie for 24 straight hours.
2006 - The year that I averaged a vegas trip per month. Stayed at the Monte. Brought Carol. Don's first trip out. Probably the best dinner ever at the Mesa Grill as I was introduced to Blue Cheese stuffed olives, credit card roulette, Wiz's ability to bet on anything like the waitress's hometown and age, and Don's food and wine choices. I look back at this trip as one of the all time greats. Even during the calm times there were still memorable moments like at the McDonalds when I left to go to the bathroom and Don asked Carol, "Why are you with him?" I will never forget Don, never forget.
2007- No where to go but down after 2006. This trip resulted in Lee writing a 10,000 word post and started the UN commission on who can come on the trips. I do remember how much fun we had at the Nugget playing Pai Gow outside by the pool and then noodles afterwards.
2008-Palazzo- Micah provided us the greatest story ever. Found that we can have fun outside of a casino by watching women's college basketball together in a cabana. Oh and we discovered a little game called UTH.
2009-Palazzo- Easter in Vegas. Jay and Laura's triumphant return! Pai Gow Tiles! Ira and the child molester! Pastrami sandwiches. 14 hour sessions at the UTH table. My first trip where I came home with almost my entire budget. Lee got me sick. Asshole.
1997- First trip out to Vegas. Stayed at the newly opened Monte Carlo. I roomed with Jeff, Michele, and Niki Topper. I remember coming back late one night hammered and taking off my patch and slapping it on Niki's forehead. Chuck joined us, where he got me hooked on roulette and taught me how to gamble on a budget of $50 a day. Nogle was there as well and taught me that it was ok to drink beer out of a bag out by the pool. And we discovered the lazy river that had shards of glass in it. Oh and I went out to the Hover Dam.
1998- I know I went, but can't remember anything.
1999-Laura's first year. Stayed at the MGM. I took Amy with me and roomed with Lee and Bridget. I remember being overwhelmed at the size of the MGM casino.
2000-No idea.
2001-Terps final 4 year. I know that I was out there since I won a bet on the over for combined points and rebounds for Lonny Baxter. No idea who I roomed with. Laura advised that Kerri, Alicia and Licia were out there that year. Wiz and Leland rented a van to drive out to California for the MD game. Year of fateful Cheetahs trip.
2002-Terps National Championship. I think I roomed with Blondie and Eric. Maybe? I can't really remember. This is the start of the Robbie and Ghettor years where there was a lot of poker and drinking.
2003 - Per Laua- "Butler County/Drew Nicholas/broken glasses trip. This was my first time out there with Eric and the trip was right after we started bombing in Iraq. I remember fighting with Eric for weeks via email about the war following this trip. Also fought the don't-pass infidels at craps." Ah yes, the vaunted don't pass line issue.
2004- Think I went out with Sooz, her sister, one of her friend Amanda, and a guy from work, Scott Jenks. First time I drove out to Vegas and got pulled over with open containers in the car and apparently I was driving on a suspended license. And the cop was totally cool and said if one of the two girls in the car has a valid drivers license and can pass a sobriety test, I'll let you off. I am forever indebted to Sooz's sister for coming through in the clutch and passing that test!!!!
2005-Another Robbie/Ghettor year. No idea what went on. I think this is where I played poker with Robbie for 24 straight hours.
2006 - The year that I averaged a vegas trip per month. Stayed at the Monte. Brought Carol. Don's first trip out. Probably the best dinner ever at the Mesa Grill as I was introduced to Blue Cheese stuffed olives, credit card roulette, Wiz's ability to bet on anything like the waitress's hometown and age, and Don's food and wine choices. I look back at this trip as one of the all time greats. Even during the calm times there were still memorable moments like at the McDonalds when I left to go to the bathroom and Don asked Carol, "Why are you with him?" I will never forget Don, never forget.
2007- No where to go but down after 2006. This trip resulted in Lee writing a 10,000 word post and started the UN commission on who can come on the trips. I do remember how much fun we had at the Nugget playing Pai Gow outside by the pool and then noodles afterwards.
2008-Palazzo- Micah provided us the greatest story ever. Found that we can have fun outside of a casino by watching women's college basketball together in a cabana. Oh and we discovered a little game called UTH.
2009-Palazzo- Easter in Vegas. Jay and Laura's triumphant return! Pai Gow Tiles! Ira and the child molester! Pastrami sandwiches. 14 hour sessions at the UTH table. My first trip where I came home with almost my entire budget. Lee got me sick. Asshole.
Mar 3, 2010
And how was your night?
Just got back in the hotel room here in France.....out tonight at a bar:
a) watching the France v Spain friendly (gees, the French team sucks);
b) eating the "Double Cheeseburger XL" - 2 180g patties on a sandwich like a Big Mac. I was too tired/drunk to figure out how many pounds 2*180g are;
c) singing karaoke to "Summer Nights" in English to a befuddled (and amused) French crowd.
Unfortunately, there are pictures, and I'm sure they will get in the wrong hands.
The bar's name?
"Le Maryland".
If that's not a good sign for our trip in two weeks..........
a) watching the France v Spain friendly (gees, the French team sucks);
b) eating the "Double Cheeseburger XL" - 2 180g patties on a sandwich like a Big Mac. I was too tired/drunk to figure out how many pounds 2*180g are;
c) singing karaoke to "Summer Nights" in English to a befuddled (and amused) French crowd.
Unfortunately, there are pictures, and I'm sure they will get in the wrong hands.
The bar's name?
"Le Maryland".
If that's not a good sign for our trip in two weeks..........
Mar 2, 2010
Only 15 days left!!!
Is this a picture from one of the past trips or insight into this year's trip? Hard to tell since I have a feeling that we will be sitting in the same position at the same UTH table for 12 hours a day. In preparation I have played over 8,000 hands of UTH on the Iphone app.
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