Well hello! It's about time I finally put my thoughts on paper and summarize the Vegas trip for 2015. It's only been about 3 weeks since the trip - and real life will start for us this month with my return to work tomorrow and Wiz's second baby coming any day now.
Every year I wonder if we will have enough material for the trip - and every year I am never disappointed. Vegas is always an adventure for us - if it's not for the gambling, it's because of the people we see and interact with during our 100+ hours at the casino.
The trip was a hard-core one this year, with just the 5 regulars of Don, Mike, Layup, Wiz and I attending. One of the subjects we talked about was - do we need to expand in future years? The thought is to recruit as many people from the Golf Side Pool as possible - I know many of you out there are reading this. Leland should be in for 2016, as well as some others from the pool. Next year's trip should be a more populous one.
Now on to the diary as I try to put all the pieces together from my notebook....
Wednesday, February 4
The fun this year started on the plane ride to Vegas. Wiz and I were supposed to meet around the same time in Vegas so Layup could take us both. About 2 hours to go, we started getting texts from Wiz that he may be delayed. There was a "situation" on his plane. It turned out to be a health situation - the guy next to Wiz was having all sorts of serious breathing problems, and may have to require an emergency landing. Apparently, everything was solved with the flight attendants doing their job and getting the man to be stable - and Wiz helping out too by holding the IV bag. I'm sure that's how Wiz wanted to start his trip.
Anyway, with Wiz being late, Layup picked me up and headed for the Mirage. On the way, we put odds for the first table we would gamble on within the first hour:
Ultimate Texas Holdem : -130
Craps: +200
Salon: +250
Other game: +500
We got there and was turned down by the VIP desk. What the F, Mirage? We had to wait out in the "normal" line with everyone else......the line was only 3 people long, but it took forever. Finally, after 20 minutes, we get our keys and head up.
10 minutes later, Wiz texts us and lets us know he has arrived - and that "we need to come up and see the room". We head up - and he's got a suite, complete with a living room and a kitchen area. The suite also has a connecting regular room as well; why don't we stay there?
So - it took about an hour, but we packed up, made all the arangements at the desk to stay in the connecting room, headed up and re-unpacked. We were finally ready to go about 2 hours after arrival.
The winning bet in the wager above was "No Gambling in the first hour..... +3000". What an upset!
Of course, after all the room changes, the first game we played was UTH. We also had some nice wagers going on Maryland 2nd half vs Penn State. It took an act of God to have the put boss change the channel to the Big Ten Network - this was a recurring issue all week, and really came into play on Sunday. Maryland hit two free throws in the last seconds for the miracle cover. Yes!
The first dinner for the trip was the bar at Tom Coligio's .... great steak, as usual....not good service, as my fries went missing. (another theme!). Plenty of drinks at the bar.
Layup then started mentioning he had to work on this trip - he had an important 6:00 am call with the CEO and his boss and some leaders in London. Sucks to be him, we said! He mentioned it many times throughout the night that even we knew he had this call.
Craps was next - I actually rolled half way decently and beat Wiz in a head-to-head matchup of rolls and won $10. Got the signature of Wiz confessing his loss in my notebook in perpetuity. After a winning craps session, what could be next? Of course, the Salon.
We are now at hour 4 or 5 of the trip, and we start going into the Blackjack salon. I didn't want this so early in the trip, but what did I expect with these two? Of course, the drinks were flowing some more and I was the first one out in that session - I constantly got 15s and 16. I ran out of money for that session and left the two of them at the table. I went over the baccarat - another bad decision - and lost some more. About 15% of my overall bankroll now gone with those two sessions. instead of going back in, I decided to play pai gow with more losses. Argh.
Wiz and Layup came out of the Salon finally and seemed to be well oiled. We decided on one more UTH session - and it was now clear that Layup was drunk. He was confusing his hands in UTH on when to go 4x....he said something like "You have K-7 suited! You don't go in on that! You only go in on that if it is unsuited!" Um, ok. Layup was getting close to being borderline belligerent to some of the players and the dealer.....maybe we need to wrap this up soon.
After about 2 hours or so at UTH, and another losing session for me, it was about 2:30 and time to go upstairs. I took my ZZZquil and laid down after drinking a lot of water. I saw Layup set his alarm. I wonder if he will wake me up while taking his 6:00 am call with the CEO.....
Every year I wonder if we will have enough material for the trip - and every year I am never disappointed. Vegas is always an adventure for us - if it's not for the gambling, it's because of the people we see and interact with during our 100+ hours at the casino.
The trip was a hard-core one this year, with just the 5 regulars of Don, Mike, Layup, Wiz and I attending. One of the subjects we talked about was - do we need to expand in future years? The thought is to recruit as many people from the Golf Side Pool as possible - I know many of you out there are reading this. Leland should be in for 2016, as well as some others from the pool. Next year's trip should be a more populous one.
Now on to the diary as I try to put all the pieces together from my notebook....
Wednesday, February 4
The fun this year started on the plane ride to Vegas. Wiz and I were supposed to meet around the same time in Vegas so Layup could take us both. About 2 hours to go, we started getting texts from Wiz that he may be delayed. There was a "situation" on his plane. It turned out to be a health situation - the guy next to Wiz was having all sorts of serious breathing problems, and may have to require an emergency landing. Apparently, everything was solved with the flight attendants doing their job and getting the man to be stable - and Wiz helping out too by holding the IV bag. I'm sure that's how Wiz wanted to start his trip.
Anyway, with Wiz being late, Layup picked me up and headed for the Mirage. On the way, we put odds for the first table we would gamble on within the first hour:
Ultimate Texas Holdem : -130
Craps: +200
Salon: +250
Other game: +500
We got there and was turned down by the VIP desk. What the F, Mirage? We had to wait out in the "normal" line with everyone else......the line was only 3 people long, but it took forever. Finally, after 20 minutes, we get our keys and head up.
10 minutes later, Wiz texts us and lets us know he has arrived - and that "we need to come up and see the room". We head up - and he's got a suite, complete with a living room and a kitchen area. The suite also has a connecting regular room as well; why don't we stay there?
So - it took about an hour, but we packed up, made all the arangements at the desk to stay in the connecting room, headed up and re-unpacked. We were finally ready to go about 2 hours after arrival.
The winning bet in the wager above was "No Gambling in the first hour..... +3000". What an upset!
Of course, after all the room changes, the first game we played was UTH. We also had some nice wagers going on Maryland 2nd half vs Penn State. It took an act of God to have the put boss change the channel to the Big Ten Network - this was a recurring issue all week, and really came into play on Sunday. Maryland hit two free throws in the last seconds for the miracle cover. Yes!
The first dinner for the trip was the bar at Tom Coligio's .... great steak, as usual....not good service, as my fries went missing. (another theme!). Plenty of drinks at the bar.
Layup then started mentioning he had to work on this trip - he had an important 6:00 am call with the CEO and his boss and some leaders in London. Sucks to be him, we said! He mentioned it many times throughout the night that even we knew he had this call.
Craps was next - I actually rolled half way decently and beat Wiz in a head-to-head matchup of rolls and won $10. Got the signature of Wiz confessing his loss in my notebook in perpetuity. After a winning craps session, what could be next? Of course, the Salon.
We are now at hour 4 or 5 of the trip, and we start going into the Blackjack salon. I didn't want this so early in the trip, but what did I expect with these two? Of course, the drinks were flowing some more and I was the first one out in that session - I constantly got 15s and 16. I ran out of money for that session and left the two of them at the table. I went over the baccarat - another bad decision - and lost some more. About 15% of my overall bankroll now gone with those two sessions. instead of going back in, I decided to play pai gow with more losses. Argh.
Wiz and Layup came out of the Salon finally and seemed to be well oiled. We decided on one more UTH session - and it was now clear that Layup was drunk. He was confusing his hands in UTH on when to go 4x....he said something like "You have K-7 suited! You don't go in on that! You only go in on that if it is unsuited!" Um, ok. Layup was getting close to being borderline belligerent to some of the players and the dealer.....maybe we need to wrap this up soon.
After about 2 hours or so at UTH, and another losing session for me, it was about 2:30 and time to go upstairs. I took my ZZZquil and laid down after drinking a lot of water. I saw Layup set his alarm. I wonder if he will wake me up while taking his 6:00 am call with the CEO.....
2 comments:
Great write up. Two quick notes:
1. Made it out in record time to Vegas and the timing was perfect. I mean perfect!!!! This is after I got a load of shit from these two on being late. But as I pulled up to the airport, Eric was walking out. It doesn't get any better than that.
2. Opening Craps session- Why won't you give me due credit for a solid first session roll. The only two points I hit for the entire trip was my opening roll during the first night.
3. How did you not upload the picture from Wiz on his view on the flight?
4. The opening Salon session set the stage on how the rest of the trip was going to be for Wiz and I for Blackjack. I was his good luck charm. He just kept feeding me drinks, while I lost and he won. The only time I won money in the Salon was with Eric.
5. Drunk Derek loves Baccarrat. Sober Derek hates Baccarrat.
Hmmmm....
2. Yes, I do recall you rolling well. I think you actually hit an all small for me. And you did well during my roll that day.
3. I don't know if I have the picture anymore - You can post it!
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