Las Vegas Downtown Casinos: The Ones that I Like

Lately, I've been busy whiling away my free hours slamming the Las Vegas Strip for turning itself into a price-gouging, violence ridden, wasteland of a place for tourists looking to have a good time. And, while I admit that I'm akin to King Canute standing on the beach trying to stop the tide, I still AM a fan of Las Vegas and really do enjoy going there.

With that in mind I thought that I'd discuss today a part of Las Vegas that I am fan of, and also provide a listing of where I like to go and why I like to go there. This is not a list of the "best" casinos downtown. For one, coming up with a list is silly, there are criteria that I have for a good casino that you might discount, and really those types of things are only designed to drive page clicks and online outrage.

Instead, these are the places that I like to visit, and stay at, when I'm staying Downtown......

1. The D Casino

I like pretty much everything about this place. Which does not mean that it does not have it's faults. For one, it's too loud at times, and not the best place to wake up in the morning and nurse a hangover. For two, you have to be very careful which video poker game you choose to play and where you play it. The Long Bar, which is still my favorite bar in Las Vegas, has one of the worst Bonus Poker pay tables downtown. However the upstairs Vue Bar, has one of the best. The rooms are smallish but they are well maintained and actually fairly well insulated from outdoor noise. I've never had a poor customer service experience at this place and the food options are top notch. For budget dinging I highly recommend All-American Coneys and Andiamo's is still one of the best steakhouses in town period.

2. 4Queens

This old lady is showing a little age on it's rooms, and it does suffer from the problem that most downtown hotels suffer in that it's rooms are tiny compared to the Strip. But I've always found the beds to be comfortable, the rooms to be clean and the value here to be pretty damn good. Their two VP bars (Mike's and King's Bar) are among the best for VP play and people watching, both the DDB progressives and the Jack's or Better Suited progressive games can be very profitable. The bartenders are among the nicest and best and while they're not "flair" like you find at the Stephen's brother's casinos they do pour a strong drink and keep your cup full. While I really do miss Wana Taco, Magnolia's is a great spot for breakfast and Hugo's Cellar is an underrated throwback dining gem. Chicago Brewing company is an outstanding option for craft beer and bar food. I've never had a bad experience here, even while losing at gambling.

3. Golden Gate

One of the oldest hotels in Vegas and a casino that's really been modernized and made fun by the Stephen's brothers.  The VP bar odds are not great but the vibe is usually pretty solid and if you don't mind a loud casino (a thing for Stephen's casinos) then the place is pretty all around cool. The rooms are tiny, but the "Original 10" experience is something you should try once, and seeing the dividing line on the hallway wall where the original building stops and the new one begins (this is on the 2nd floor) is really cool. No real options for food here, but you can avail yourself of the Circa options (your food credit is good there) right across the street. To me, staying at Golden Gate and having the Circa amenities available to you is the power play on Fremont Street.

4. Golden Nugget

For me, the Golden Nugget is about three things: Some of the best rooms on Fremont (excluding Circa), a great pool, and some very solid dining options. Unfortunately the casino is pretty much a no-gambling zone in Tillman Ferttita's "It's all about the ROI" world but the rest of the resort is above average. Grotto for lunch is an underrated option and the Chart House has excellent seafood. Vic & Anthony's is a solid although not spectacular steak house but it will not disappoint. The rooms however are great, especially if you can grab a Rush Tower room. If you do gamble there the good news is that some of your comps, will also transfer to Landry's restaurants off property. (Subject to certain restrictions). All and all a solid place to stay.

5. Circa

I could be obtuse, and a contrarian, and leave this off of the list, but that would mean that I'm also a liar because I really do like this place. Let's start off with the party pieces, the Sports Book and Stadium Swim. They are spectacular and are the best sports book and pool in the City, and I'm including the Strip. The food options are many and all are good. Some even great. The Legacy Club is a sunset destination. The rooms are new and shiny and well thought out, they have supplanted the Golden Nugget as the best rooms downtown. And while I LOVE the Mega Bar, and the Overlook Bar let's get to the warts.  This place is EXPENSIVE with a capital EXPENSIVE. Food prices are high, the gambling odds are not good, and while the bartenders are great and nice the prices for drinks are out of this world high, think Las Vegas strip levels. The old saying is that you never want to own the nicest house in a poor neighborhood. My long-term worry is that Circa is just that and is going to struggle.

Honorable Mention:

The California

Post renovation the casino here is a very nice place to be. I've never stayed at the Hotel because, as a Video Poker Play Boyd does not value my business, but the Hawaiian food here is solid.

Main Street Station

Currently closed, there are several video poker players/craft beer fans, including myself, that are waiting semi-patiently for the return of the Boar's Head bar and 777 Brewery.

The Las Vegas Strip: Casinos that I like

Lately I've been pretty negative regarding the Las Vegas Strip. I've publically sworn off any Caesars properties and I've made my dislike of MGM properties well known for a while now. That said, there are resorts on the Strip that I really do enjoy visiting and to try and turn around this negativity (because blogging is FUN dammit) I thought I'd list out the Strip casinos that I like and mention why I like them.

1. The Cosmopolitan

Even as a card carrying old guy, I find the Cosmo to be good fun. Yes I'm tragically unhip and probably 20-25 years older than their target demographic but I just really find the Cosmo to be an overall fun place. Like many, I enjoy the Chandelier Bar but my go to is the Sports Book bar where Atilla and Heather are two of the nicest bartenders around. Block 16 is great eats, as is the Pizza shop, and while pricey, the tacos at China y Pablano are go-to food for Mrs. TPM. the restaurant choices there are without equal, and the rooms are spectacular.  Easily my favorite casino resort on the Strip and it's not close. Yes, they are pricey, and the table games are horrid, but for VP they're a notch above Caesars/MGM and that's about the best you can hope for these days (sadly)

2. Treasure Island

Two things I like about TI: Their bartop video poker and their pool. One thing I dislike, their relatively poor dining choices.  Although the seafood place is pretty good outside of that things could be much better. They have a very nice casino with many options for slot players, and fair video poker pay tables. Their table games are Strip normal (which means they suck) but their rooms are nice, can frequently be found at decent prices and their cabana rental rates are reasonable for the Strip. Customer service there is friendly, and the cabana attendants that served us were very personable, prompt and pleasant. All in all I really like TI and it's a go to for me when visiting the Strip.

3. Wynn and Encore

Steve Wynn had his personal demons and, while his legal issues are still in litigation, there's no denying that he has left a lasting legacy on the Las Vegas Strip. "WynnCore" was the beginning of the de-theming movement on the Strip (for better or for worse) and is (honestly) the epitome of customer service. You're going to pay at Wynn properties but you are not going to be disappointed. two of the most luxurious properties on the Strip with great food options, wonderful lounges and bars, and two of the prettiest gaming areas around, there's not a lot to dislike about either place outside of them costing you your first born.

4. Venetian and Palazzo

The main gripe you from people regarding these sister properties is that they are (were) owned by Sheldon Adelson. This is yet another case where people are unable to separate their politics from their enjoyment of life and that's too bad. I, for one, enjoyed nothing more than getting the chance to win Sheldon's money and the two resorts themselves are beautiful. Much like WynnCore, the service is outstanding, the decor is beautiful and the Venetian Shoppes are one of the best places in Las Vegas to spend some time not gambling. The rooms are all suites and are fantastic. Now that Sands has bailed on Vegas there's really no reason to not check them out. Again like WynnCore, you're going to pay, and their pay tables are atrocious. They also win the booby prize for introducing into the world the scourge that is 000 Roulette but other than that they're a great place to visit.

5. Aria

I know, I know, I spend ages cracking on MGM and then list one of their resorts as a casino that I like on the Strip.  Here's the thing: I like staying and dining there, not so much gambling there. the rooms are spectacular as are the food choices. The paella at Julian Serrano's Tapas is world class. When I do play there it's typically at the tiny Gem Bar, where if you can find Manny there might not be a better bartender on the Strip in terms of friendliness. The pool is incredible, albeit pricey, and the pool staff is warm and nice. Yes, it's MGM so the fees are going to be legion and you will be nickel and dimed almost to death, and there are rough edges around customer service that they need to work out (especially at he front desk, which is awful) but overall the casino is beautiful, the front desk area is a spectacle, and the positives here do outweigh the negatives in my opinion.

Non gambling honorable mention.

Vdara

The Vdara is certainly not for everyone. They have no casino but they do have all suites, the City Corner Suite is amazing, and they really don't have any dining options. But, you're close to Aria and Cosmo so eating well is just a short walk away. The pool area, especially if you get a Cabana, is spectacular although not a party pool if that is what you are looking for. The Lobby Bar is a beautiful place to pay a lot for a cocktail.

Incomplete:

Resorts World

I have not yet visited this property so it's not going to be on any list. Of course, it's on YouTube everywhere but the Vlogs so far have only mainly focused on the pool and sheer size of the place. At this point it could go on my "likes" or "dislikes" place I just don't know.

Vegas Golden Knights: "What in the World is Going on Out Here?????"

First, the Golden Knights traded away Marc Andre Fleury and the fans went bonkers.

I was, admittedly, bummed about this but was willing to give the Golden Knights brain-trust the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what they were able to accomplish with this new found cap space. OK, I said to myself, loving Fleury is rough, but I agree that having the Cap space to re-sign Alex Martinez and signing a quality center will make them a better team going forward.

This, is not what happened.

Yes, the Golden Knights re-signed Martinez, which is good, but then they traded for Evginii Dadonov, a declining winger from Ottawa, giving up promising defenseman Nick Holden and a 3rd round draft pick. My guess is with Dadonov that they hope his decline in Ottawa was more to to Ottawa than Dadonov, but they still haven't solved their most glaring problem.

After Dadonov, they announced the signing of a new backup goalie, Laurent Broissoi formerly of Winnipeg, whos was a fine backup for them but who is nowhere close to the quality of Fleury.

All of that cap space is now gone. I saw on Twitter where they have about $186K remaining, but they still have to sign the RFA Patrick to the qualified offer that they made to him.

So, let's recap. They've traded away the face of the franchise and the most beloved, and the best, player during the entire life of the team (Not to mention the locker room leader, community giant, etc.) for a sack of beans and have used that salary cap room to make the team markedly worse.

The thing people keep pointing to is the mythical Eichel trade, which will probably involve moving either (or more likely both) Pacioretty and Tuch.

Think the fans are going to be happy with that one?

And I haven't even gone into the mess of how GM Kelly McKrimmon treats players, and what might, or might not have happened with communication with Fleury regarding the trade.

This is an easy team to root for on the ice, but a helluva difficult franchise to pull for off it.

Right now the BEST CASE scenario for Knight's fans is that Davadov was bad because of Ottawa, that Lehner has a career year and Boissoi can provide enough quality minutes to spell Panda and keep him from being exhausted come playoff time. They also have to hope that their current crop of centers finally produce during playoff time, and that the Power Play miraculously gets fixed, and they they don't go into a scoring funk AGAIN when the post season rolls around.

Also in the equation, would be that Eichel is healthy and Davadov and he could increase goal production from Patches and Tuch.

These are big asks, and if any of them go South it could be that Vegas misses the playoffs for the first time in their history, or flames out in an early round.

Should the latter two scenarios happen then I think a house cleaning will be needed, both on the ice, on the bench and in the front office.

Very important season ahead for everyone methinks.

2021 Olympics: Your "Not A Sport" reply is old, tired and (in most cases) inaccurate.

It never fails.

ESPN, or some other media outlet, will post a Tweet with the results of some Olympic event, and two or three people, in a moment of what they believe to be wit, will respond with "Not a sport" and wait for the entire world to laugh and like their tweet.

I've seen the reply to Judo, Taekwando, Gymnastics, Volleyball and Softball.

Never mind that, in all of those cases, the characterization is 100% wrong, it's also lazy, insipid, and sad that the responders one brain wave of the day is limited to trying to garner a reaction from a sport's fans.

Much of it is unserious trolling, but there is something concrete that we can take from this. Namely that we've so watered down the definition of "sport" that even contests like beauty pageants and dog shows are throwing it out without a trace of irony in an attempt to legitimize what it is they do.

Of course, no amount of definition (or logic) will ever truly stop Internet trolling and the answer is never to censor such nonsense, but there still does need to be some fixed set of criteria for what is a "sport" and what is not. To facilitate this discussion I propose the following categories for your amusement.

Sport: "An athletic endeavor contested between two or more individuals/teams with the goal of completing assigned tasks within the field of play which is won by either completing the task the quickest or scoring the most amount of points in a set time."

Examples: American Football, European Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track & Field, Swimming, Softball, Volleyball, Tennis etc.

Judged Sport: "An athletic endeavor contested between two or more individuals/teams with the goal of completing assigned tasks within the field of play whose results are judged by an outside panel, who then assign points based on a set of criteria to determine a winner."

Examples: Gymnastics, Skateboarding, Ice Skating, Diving, etc.

Competition: "An event, usually judged, that contains no athletic effort but is competitive in nature."

Examples: Dog shows, beauty pageants, bodybuilding, Poker, etc.

You may not agree with all of the examples that I provided, and the lists above are by no means exhaustive, and there could need to be some debate around certain events (shooting is one that comes to mind) but I think these three categories could serve as a good starting point for the discussion of what is sport and what is, in fact, just a competition. If you would like, another category "athletic competition" could be included for a competition such as bodybuilding which DOES take some athletic activity in order to compete and win but which is, in fact, still just a beauty pageant with steroids.

What say you?

COVID-19, Vegas and You. Cancelling Trips or Nah?

As we muddle through what was supposed to be our grand, bring America back, Summer a few stumbling blocks have appeared in our road to full recovery.

Vegas, it appears, is NOT as back as we have been led to believe, nor is the hospitality industry as vaccinated as we were led to believe. As cases in Clark County surge, primarily due to the Delta variant, and County leaders have mandated that masks go back on the worker's faces, if not the public who is largely importing this virus.

Post-Vaccine availability it was expected that Vegas was about to enter a new "golden age", for casino profits that is. The expectation being that people who had been cooped up for over a year were beyond ready to hit the pools, the night clubs, the shows, etc. And early numbers showed this to be true. In fact, after things opened up on June 1st Vegas was overflowing. People were coming out of the woodworks to drink booze, pass out on the Strip, lose money and generally spend a ton of money doing Vegas things.

This played out as advertised for a while, but now it appears that rising COVID-19 cases, both in Clark County and as a result of people travelling to Las Vegas, is starting to blunt the demand. Rumors are that airport arrivals are, just recently down, and traffic isn't as bad as usual on the highways. Anecdotal evidence yes, but based on the offers that I'm seeing from the casinos evidence is there that they are suddenly scrambling to fill rooms.

Which, finally, winds around to the point of this post:  Are you still planning your Las Vegas trip or are you postponing it until a later time?

For me, the answer is that I'm still going. Granted, Mrs. TPM and I are a special case in that a. we're both fully vaxxed and b. we have no kids or other family living with us that would be a concern.

For others I'm sure the calculus is not as cut and dried. But it would be interesting to understand just how large the "I'm going no matter what" contingent in relation to the "nope, not at this time" group.

DOES Las Vegas have a COVID-19 perception problem? Are the casino workers 100% vaccinated at certain properties like they claimed?  Or were some playing a little fast and loose with the numbers?

Regardless of any of that one thing is clear: Cases (and more worryingly hospitalizations) are rising, suggesting that Clark County has a vaccination issue that needs to be addressed.

Are you going to allow them to address it?  Or are you going just because dammit you need that Vegas fix and will live with the consequences?

One last coda to this: Despite the fact that we're fully vaxxed there is the possibility that Mrs. TPM and I will be donning masks in casinos in solidarity with the workers who are required to do so, and out of simple politeness to them.

Yes, we expect to get some weird looks for this. Then again, we might not for the simple reason that it sends a bad message about the effectiveness of vaccines. I'm still working through which option is better.

Hail (and Farewell) Caesar

For a long time now I'm devoted a not insignificant amount of time writing, and Tweeting, about why the Strip is no longer for me. The odds are bad, CNF (and other) fees suck, the place is now just a tire-fire of people wandering around losing money on bad games etc.

Now Caesars Entertainment has decided you cannot visit their Sportsbooks without paying for a seat. (h/t Marc Meltzer)

Whatever. 

Caesars is currently leading MGM in the race to the bottom. They offer worse odds, no longer grandfather players in at tables when the minimums are raised, and now they want $80 to sit in a chair and bet on football?

And, let's face facts, it is not as if Caesars properties are the crown jewels of Vegas. The images of dirty rooms, hallways, elevators, parking garages and other common areas are legion. They are rapidly deteriorating properties that offer nothing for those wanting to have a good time. Even Caesars Palace is a shadow of it's former self. Limping along on a past reputation offering up very expensive "experiences" at the cost of actually having a good time.

Not to mention all of the news reports showing the Strip has become a tad bit fighty and shooty of late.

There is still, just, The Cosmopolitan, WynnCore and Venetian/Palazzo that are nice, and I'm still a believer that Treasure Island is somewhat underrated. Resorts World shows promise, but not for gambling, and the jury is still out on whether or not Phil Ruffin and company are going to do anything worthwhile with Circus Circus, or if they can capitalize on being adjacent to the Strip's shiny new toy.

What is somewhat clear is that the former winner of the Strip wars, the South end, and even the middle, is all but a no fly zone. Maybe, in a non-gambling mode, you check out the Linq Promenade from time to time and see the Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory but outside of that?

Any future forays onto Las Vegas most famous tourist trap are going to be limited to the North end, and Cosmo. More frequently however, you're going to find me Downtown and off-Strip, far away from the fees, the overcharging, the short-pouring and the general nastiness that has become the Las Vegas Strip.

You certainly will not see me frequenting any Caesars property. Their customer unfriendly business decisions since the merger have made them unvisitable. I don't care if they offer to pay me to go. (Which, they won't because I'm not an #Influencer.)

It's really too bad, because I used to like visiting Caesars Palace, walking through the Shoppes, eating at Trevi, getting a cigar at Monte Cristo.....No more.

It's not me Caesars, it's you.

The Las Vegas Strip 2021: $9 Bread, 6/5 Blackjack and 000 Roulette.

And we haven't even mentioned all of the fees......

News from Mark Metzer that Giada (the Cromwell based vanity project of the incredibly large-headed Giada DeLaurentis) is Now charging $9 for her bread plate where it used to be free, and it's now sans the dried capers that everyone seemed to like.

$9.  For a bread plate. You can feed two people for that eating fast food, or at a taco truck in Houston. ($1 street tacos are where it's at y'all)

For me, the Strip has been much a no-go for a while now. Sure, I'll drop by the Bellagio to watch the fountains and see the Conservatory, possibly drop into The Cosmopolitan to eat at Lardo and maybe play some VP at their sports book bar, but outside of that?

IF I'm gambling there it's just throwing $40 bucks into a quarter VP machine with some friends, or maybe the same amount of money on a slot or three. I NEVER play table games there because the odds are putrid, and I tend to steer my gambling budget away from days that I'm going to be on the Strip. My daily gambling budget for a day on the Strip is a full quarter of what it would be for a day off Strip, probably not even a fifth of my budget for locals casinos.

All that said, one of the primary reasons that I visit Vegas is to gamble. Although it's becoming less about that as the trips go on. On my upcoming August trip I plan to gamble less in a week than I just gambled over 2.5 days at River Spirit in Tulsa, and about the same as I gamble in 2 days at my local.

Why is this?

Well, for one, the odds are better away from Vegas for the most part. The once "Gambling Capitol of the World" is now the "Shitty Gambling Capitol of the World" putting in things that would not fly at any other casino. So far, due to a lack of give a shit by a drunken public just happy to be back out in the world, they are getting away with it to the tune of a record $1.23 Billion gambling haul in May, the highest single-month win in the State's history.

By all appearances, they are accomplishing this IN SPITE of themselves.

Between some of the worst posted odds in the world, "innovations" that are continually player unfriendly, and an ever-growing laundry list of fees, Las Vegas today is living up to it's new "Only Vegas" marketing line.

Only Las Vegas has shit odds and as many fees as you'll find in the world. And it's coming at the expense of value.

The issue is that the casino resorts really believe that they are something special in this world today, that Vegas as a draw is going to continue no matter how much they gouge the customers. That the demand that they've witnessed post-COVID, which was a perfect storm of people being tired of lock downs and stimulus money, is going to continue unabated.

In short, they are doing this because they think that they CAN. There seems to be no one on the executive floors of these corporations asking if they SHOULD.

And that's going to be a problem.

Already signs are there that the post-lockdown boom is rapidly coming to a close. Not only are COVID-19 cases again on the rise, due in large part to casinos rapidly abandoning the safety protocols that kept them contained in the first place, but people are just starting to find other things to do.

Gambling and losing is expected, sitting down to a blackjack table, after paying for your flight, room, resort fee, parking and some extremely high taxes partly to pay for the Raider's Stadium, waiting an hour for a cab/Uber/Lyft, waiting in long lines for check-in to a room that's shoddy at best, only to find the odds are 2 times worse than you can find at your local casino is downright discouraging.

People come to Vegas hopeful for a good time, they leave bemoaning $2000 bottle service in a night club that's packed beyond capacity and a possible Delta Variant to boot. If they did not go to a night club, they paid way too much for a cabana at a pool that's apparently increasingly under-chlorinated and choked with too many people.

Then your gambling sucks, because the odds are so depleted winning is impossible, and now you're being charged $9 for a few tiny slices of bread.

At some point, people are going to say "enough" and just decide the city is not worth it any more.

That day may be closer in coming than many think.

Las Vegas Vlogs: The Simple Problem of Community.

When Resorts World conducted their soft opening on June 24th to much fanfare and many live Vlogs, the wife and I spent the evening bouncing back and forth between a few of them to check out the new resort, and to get an idea of the opening festivities.

We saw the pool.

And many blurry shots of Paris Hilton in the distance.

We also saw lines and people walking around the mall area, running into other Vloggers doing the same thing. There was the tell-tale fuzzy footage of a wi-fi system being stretched beyond it's maximum band-width and then more shots of the pool. And Paris Hilton again, I think. It was terribly hard to make out.

We also saw footage of many, many Vegas Vloggers walking to the place, and almost all of them getting the "insider" tip that the Conrad entrance was WAY easier to get into than the main entrances, and we witnessed the confusion by almost all regarding where the pool actually was.

Then we saw the pool, and someone who might have possibly been Paris Hilton.

Fast forward to last week and the subject du jour was Posh Burger. I've seen around 15 Vlogs about this place (Did you know it replaced the Burger Bar at Aria? Or that it offers a $100 burger?) and they are all pretty much the same.

The new trend is to cross the streams, vloggers vlogging vloggers vlogging other vloggers virtual group pulls or vlogger meet-ups that are partially vlogged by other vloggers vlogging people who are vlogging them, usually talking to even more vloggers.

To be perfectly honest, I have now limited my viewing to a select few, and pretty much just gloss over the rest. I've unsubscribed to many of late because the content on offer is just not original or new.

Look, I'm not going to name names here. The intention of this is to not "shame" anyone or disparage their product. Some of the ones that I ignore might be among your favorites and that's fine. And, to be perfectly honest, unless you're trying to make a living out of this who and what you vlog should not really be driven by anyone other than you.

I'm sure this is going to anger some who vlog and I can live with that, because the criticism here is meant to be constructive rather than destructive. Many people are working hard on their vlogs almost daily and they should be commended for that.

But, and this is important, from an entertainment, informative perspective things are going a little off the rails.

And this is a problem, because some of the vloggers regurgitating the same things claim to be being made with the intent of educating folks about Vegas. But, by just showing other vloggers and meet-ups and all heading to the same places, you're not.

Now, other vlogs are just put out there as video logs of a person, or couple's, trip through Vegas, and from that scenario vlogging vloggers vlogging is perfectly fine. That WAS your trip after all.

Also, in today's day and age a sense of community is important, and I would argue that there is no stronger community than this one of Vegas Vloggers, of which I am on the periphery (by choice and by circumstance [and the fact that I sucked at vlogging]). So in some aspects vlogs showing groups of vloggers running around looking for Strippers and Cocaine (by "strippers" we mean pizza and by "cocaine", we mean donuts usually) is a GOOD thing because it does show a way Vegas can be, a great place to meet new friends, do fun things and gain a ton of followers doing just that.

But some diversity of content can go a long way.

Perhaps that's the problem with the Las Vegas Strip right now as a whole, and why I pretty much avoid it at all costs. There IS no diversity of content on the Strip. It's all night clubs and bottle service and people walking around to the next big club. EVERYONE is required by law to say that Pizza Rock has the best Pizza in Vegas, that the Plaza is the Bestest downtown hotel. Which it is, IF you've got a sizable vlog following and are catered to by Jonathan Jossell, if not, then it's a pretty crappy experience to be perfectly honest, full of surly, unhelpful staff, dirty, dated rooms and a casino floor on which it's impossible to find an empty VP bartop because the bartenders are talking to their friends, or vloggers, who are not gaming..

When the casino is catering to you and clearing out places to play for free advertising it's the bee's knees. If you're just a schmuck with a camera, 30 something followers and no advertising angle it's really not all that.

But I digress....

When I decided to hang up my pathetic attempt at a vlog it was not because I did not like the other Las Vegas Vloggers. Far from it. I have met a few and like many of them. I quit because I suck at it, I'm boring and people do not want to follow along and look at my pictures with captions because I forgot to record shit. Even when I did remember to record shit the quality was bad and I could not be bothered to purchase decent editing software. Shit, I would not have followed me.

This is not sour grapes. Many of these people are brilliant at editing and creating content and they really put a lot of effort into it, their vlogs are very enjoyable and we like watching them very much.

It's just that I think more diversity in content is going to be needed if the genre is going to survive and thrive.

Of course, what the hell do I know? I only convinced 38 people to follow me.

Be safe, bet smart, win Jackpots. (and vlog them if you do)

Las Vegas News: 07/22/2021

 All the stuff you need to know in one handy link blog.....

Employees, not public, mandated for masks in Clark County (LVRJ) - Will you be donning one just because?  I might in August out of politeness toward the employees. (if the mandate is still on)

RIP Layne Flack (LVRJ) - One of the architects of the "Poker Boom" and one of the all-time greats of poker.

For $60 Million you could own the Aztec Inn (LRVJ) - No word if there is extra charge for the stuff in the carpets.

Circa's Contest is Greatly Impacting the SuperBook's Contest. (LVSun) - Circa seems to be taking the lead on the SuperBook, which has definitely lost it's fastball of late.

Vegas' most prominent eye-sore gets (another) tentative opening date. (LVRJ) - I'll believe it when I see it.

Live Keno is rapidly disappearing (Vital Vegas) - The Griswold's are going to be gutted.

A reminder that light rail advocates NEVER give up. (LV Sun) - There are always hands out for projects such as this. And people who think it's something "world class" rather than just a cute toy.

And finally.....

Are we hitting critical mass for Las Vegas Vloggers? (FeedSpot) - At last count there were over 100 vlogs about the Resorts World opening. After watching several of them they were all the same thing. Ditto for the people who live streamed it. This will be the subject of a future blog series.

Soon All College Football will be SEC.

 The news that UT-Austin and Oklahoma have approached the SEC regarding membership should not come as a massive surprise. The Big XII (Ten) has always been on life support as long as the big two wanted it to be. Once they decide to pull the plug, the other eight schools are going to need to scramble and hope to find a good landing spot.

And yes, it is and has been for a while now all about money.

I had thought for some time that the logical landing spot for UT-Austin and OU would have been the Pac-12. What I did not take into full account was the full breadth of the incompetence the West Coast conference contained. IF there was any hope of competitive balance in the future the Pac-12 needed to rise up above their mediocrity and embrace these two brand titans in order to compete. IF the SEC remains sensible, and doesn't fall victim to the feverish rantings of Aggie, then they'll understand that by bringing in these two very profitable, and very high-profile, programs will only ensure their dominance of the college football landscape long-term.

The Big XII is toast. After the departure of the big two the highest profile team remaining is...ummmm..is...well....Oklahoma State? 

Of course, I'm talking purely from a football perspective, which is what this is all about. The Big XII could try and reinvent themselves as a basketball conference by bringing in say, Memphis, Cincinnati and possibly even Houston but from a football perspective that's not much better than the current American. In fact, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State and Texas Tech might look to the American as a landing spot.

Kansas is a weird bird. They have an extremely profitable basketball team but their football program is in shambles. Most people are pointing to the B1G for them as a possible landing spot but I don't see it. Why would the B1G want another Rutgers? A Rutgers with a bad TV market located in a below-average recruiting area? Methinks the Big East might be a landing spot for Kansas who would then demote the football program to the FCS. It might be the best solution for everyone.

West Virginia is interesting, they are still a very popular program in the region and could add some value to the ACC, who is going to need to figure things out if they're going to even remotely compete with the SEC juggernaut that is to come. The ACC might even consider Oklahoma State, who would not be a regional fit but since when does geography matter in modern college sports?

Oklahoma State could also try and team up with Texas Tech and move West to the Pac-12. Yes, travel would be a bitch and neither school really brings a lot to the Conference but moving to 16 teams is gong to be a must for the power conferences if this thing pushes through.

Based on that logic, despite Iowa being agin' it you would think the B1G would have interest in Iowa State, and possibly (but not very likely) Kansas State. I would certainly find the Wildcats of the Little Apple more appealing than Kansas right now, but a better target for the B1G might be the aforementioned Cincinnati Bearkats.

Of course, all of this is just speculation, their is nothing official about UT-Austin or OU moving to the SEC yet, just reports that they've inquired about inclusion. What is for sure is that UT-Austin and OU have decided that the Big XII is no longer worth keeping on life support and that their monetary athletic futures would be better suited playing under another flag. The proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff makes this even more likely since their road gets easier in the SEC due to the at-large positions.

What of those outside looking in?

Strangely, the American Athletic Conference could actually improve their standing by casting off their bottom tier (ECU, Temple) and replacing them with TCU and Baylor. They still would not be considered a Power conference but they would be a tougher one. I also see a possibility where Navy takes a look at Army and says "You know what? We're going the Independent route as well." In my mind that would be their best option, and would allow ECU to remain while Temple gets grabbed up by the MAC, a much better home for them than the American.

Regardless of how this plays out, in four or five years it's very likely that we're looking down at a markedly different college football landscape, and the path will be cleared for the new "Power 4" conferences to finally pull away from the NCAA and start their own, semi-pro, gig. IF the SEC adds the Big 2 from the Big XII their conference identity will become almost monolithic, more so than it is even today. Yes, aTm will not be happy, until those checks start rolling in. Then they will live with it.

The rest of us will learn to live with it as well. At least we'll still have the FunBelt, C-USA and the MAC to entertain us.

Public Health and the Future of Travel: How do we Solve a Problem like COVID-19

News out today that Clark County, NV is considering a new mask mandate for everyone indoors in public places regardless of vaccinated status makes me wonder what the point of getting the vaccine was? Couple that with Dr. Anthony "I'm lying because my lips are moving" Fauci calling for EVERYONE over 2 years of age to wear a mask, vaccinated or not, and it's becoming pretty clear that COVID-19 is going to be with us for quite some time. 

As much as we wanted it to go away, it won't. At least not anytime soon.

Never-you-mind that the media is STILL continually getting it wrong, acting as if the vaccinated cannot catch COVID-19 instead of recognizing that the vaccine makes you far less likely to get seriously ill should you be exposed and that you're most likely to be either asymptomatic or just feel like you have a cold.

When it comes to COVID-19 misinformation, the mainstream media is potentially the biggest offender of all. I'm assuming the Twitter suspension for those reporters is not forthcoming.

This is a big problem for you if you have travel plans in the future (as I do).

Planning for your casino trips just got a lot more difficult because it's hard to know what is going to be open, what, if any, capacity limitations are going to be in place and whether or not you're going to eventually have to provide some proof of vaccination to do much of anything?

I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't.

In a perfect world the clear answer would be "Get vaccinated and you should be fine" and the promises that we were given that if we got vaccinated we could return to something resembling normality would be borne out.

My feeling however is that was never really in the cards.

Our ruling class had to know that there was going to be a healthy level of vaccine hesitancy among the general populace and they HAD to know that this was going to cause COVID-19 to continue it's spread. Given that they never seriously looked at vaccine passports or something along those lines they also had to know that keeping restrictions in place, and limiting business and people, was always going to be a long-term strategy. While I do not think that mass lock-downs will ever be back on the table (they were wrong-headed, never before contemplated in pandemic response and utterly ineffective, often causing worse consequences than the virus itself) I do think that there is no small portion of the ruling class that LIKES wielding this new-found power and doesn't want it to go away all that quickly.

No, that's not a conspiracy theory, it's human nature. The missing village idiots who are in charge of things really only want to be both loved and feared as smart and powerful. Sure, they will mask their edicts in the language of "for the children (or helpless)" but it's really about exerting more control over those that can help themselves.

So, what are we going to do about COVID-19?

For now, we're probably going to have to put the masks back on, regardless of how idiotic this is for people who have 2 doses of vaccine flowing through their veins. The alternative is to refuse to wear a mask and risk arrest. A rather ironic false-choice being given to us by people who often call for the decriminalization of non-victimless crimes. Hey, if that's your thing, go for it. I, for one, would like to stay out of jail.

Depending on your feelings toward vaccination getting two jabs probably really is your best defense for the time being. Not perfect by any means, but better than nothing, assuming you have not previously caught it and have contact immunity that is. I have been fully vaccinated but have many friends who, for one reason or another (not all of them conspiracy theorist stuff) have chosen to not. So, we have to suck it up and wear masks, and listen to people screaming that they're useless. Another good idea would be a re-emphasis on social distancing. Hopefully you're all washing your hands, practicing good hygiene and covering your mouths when you cough/sneeze.

None of these things are perfect, but they do seem to help.

My biggest fear is that some local dictator types are going to try and reinstate lock downs.

They were not terribly effective the first time around and there's little reason to believe they will be the 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th, depending on where you live). Unless you are insane. Which, given the actions of the ruling class is a definite possibility.

Stay safe.

Gambling lies: "I'm a lifetime winner!"

I just completed a losing gambling trip. The video poker was not nice (I could not draw flies all weekend) and my timing was off on the slots. While this trip was especially bad in that nothing was hitting, it's not all that unusual for me to wind up a trip down a little.

In fact, that's my goal for every trip, just lose a little while gambling.

There are many out there who state that they are lifetime winners, especially on slots. If you understand slots that's a joke, because there is no strategy that you can play and no system you can put in place to make you a winner over time. Yes, there are a few people who have hit huge jackpots and are on the plus side of the ledger when it comes to slot play. People who hit MegaBucks, certain wide-area progressives and large jackpots on certain machines are probably up over the course of their lifetimes.

Everyone else?

No way.

In fact, there are some prominent Social Media personalities who claim to have a "slot-system" and claim to be "experts" on slot-play because of this and they claim that they are lifetime net positive.

I call bullshit.

Sports betting is the biggest home of liars though. VERY FEW sports bettors turn a profit on their actual bets. There are far more people who claim a profit but actually have losing records and make money off of suckers buying their losing picks from them. The most famous of these touts is Vegas Dave, but there are many, many more just like them. Of the few sports bettors that actually win for a living, you're very unlikely to see them touting picks. I can think of one or two, but that's it. A LOT of them are active on Twitter, but they're usually there to troll touts and maybe provide some basic gambling advice. Not sell picks.

Another lie that people tell regarding gambling is the existence of a winning system. Casinos love system bettors because they actually think they can win. While the best system might help you reduce the house edge, it will not tip it to your favor. The biggest example of this is strategy in blackjack. If you still think that strategy can help shift the house-edge to your favor ask yourself this: If strategy can become a winner why do casinos allow strategy cards at tables and, in many cases, sell them in their gift-shops? The answer? It won't.

A sub-group of blackjack players who might actually make money over time are card counters. If you want to judge their efficacy see just how quickly they get backed off and even eighty-sixed from a casino when playing their game. The fact is that casinos are not going to allow an advantage player to sit at their tables for too long. If the casino truly believes that you are gaining an advantage over them they are not going to let you play for long. This is especially true for blackjack card counters and advantage (or +EV) sports bettors at many books.

The lie of winning is only slightly less prevalent in poker than it is in blackjack. While I do know some winning poker players the majority of those out there claiming wins (and peddling a poker system) are nothing more than poker touts. They make their money selling you their "system" (which is usually just a rehashed model of something that they read in a poker book and repackaged as their own) rather than actually sitting at a table playing cards.

The final group of "winners" are the cheaters. While they may gain a win in the short-run the overwhelming probability in their lives is that the casino is going to catch them, and that they are going to jail for quite some time.

Remember that gambling is entertainment, and your bet is the price for that entertainment. The structure of the odds on all the games means that you are most probably going to lose in the long-run, but that in the short run anything can happen. The most important lesson to learn is that you are there to have fun.

So, do that.

Have fun, bet smart, win jackpots.

But if you don't, then don't chase your losses and get ready to have fun on your next try.

Health and Safety: Some COVID-19 Lessons I'm not Going to Unlearn

By the time you read this I will have been back from my casino trip to Tulsa for a couple of days. Hopefully, and the Good Lord willing, I will not have brought back any post-casino crud with me. I'm not too concerned about COVID-19 because I've got two doses of that sweet nectar of Moderna coursing through my veins (Sadly: I cannot shoot plasma bolts out of my hands, so on that front the rDNA drug was VERY disappointing).

But, and I realized this a few casino trips back, there are still a lot of fairly disgusting people in this world and, especially in a casino, you and they are sharing tactile surfaces. And let's not even get into just how filthy money and casino chips are.....

Travelling.

Once they allow us to de-mask on an airplane I probably will. However, if I'm feeling a little under the weather I'll probably put a mask on myself while on the plane. This is something many Asian cultures did prior to the pandemic and it's not a horrid idea.

I'll also continue to wipe the headrest, armrests, tray table and seat belt handles down with a sanitizing wipe. I did that to a limited degree prior to the pandemic after reading several news stories and studies that outlined exactly what is living in your airport seat, especially on the tray table.

Given the reality of full flights, social distancing can be hard on a plane. And that's fine, but where I can I'll do what I can (angry fat-guy face on non-full Southwest flights, booking aisle and window on less than full flights on other airlines, to try and secure that blesses empty middle seat.

Hotel

I'm guessing Mrs. TPM will continue to spray down the toilet, pillows, bed and other high-contact surfaces in the future. Especially the toilets. Look, it's been a while since I've stayed in a room that has obviously just not been serviced by housekeeping, and when that happens I usually request a new room, but housekeepers are human and, as such, make mistakes or omissions from time to time. Better safe than sorry.

I'll also continue to shoot the inside of my vehicle with antiseptic spray before getting in should I valet. Just remember to tip your attendant and let them know that it's nothing personal.

Casino

One thing that we started doing, and plan to continue doing, is wiping down VP and slot machines with a sanitizing wipe before starting to play. At first, when surface contact was a concern, we did this for COVID-19. I decided to keep this around after noticing, in my heightened state of awareness, how many men used the restroom and did not wash their hands afterwards, to keep this practice going. Mrs. TPM carries a small pack of wipes in her purse, she pulls one out and I wipe the machine down prior to touching anything else. This will continue.

We're also going to keep the practice of using hand sanitizer after handling money. If you did not know, money is NASTY, carrying all types of bacteria and viruses that are highly transmittable. My hope is that the casinos continue the practice of having hand sanitizer stations scattered throughout the casino but, if they don't (and given their cheapness they probably won't) we'll be ready with travel bottles for easy cleanup.

I don't want to leave the impression that I'm going to live my life in a bubble. On the contrary, I'm not. Even during this pandemic Mrs. TPM and I got together, laid out our sanitation plan and stuck to it so that we could keep visiting casinos. We traveled 4 times in 2020 and have already had 4 trips in 2021 with 3 more to go.

It's just this: It's not me, it's you. Not "you" personally, I'm sure you have wonderful hygiene and wash your hands properly each and every time. But many people do not and, because of that, we're going to keep some things in our toolkit to ensure we're at less risk of catching the NEXT bad bug that makes it's debut.

Unless said bug is transmitted through Vodka and Whiskey consumption......then we're toast.

Social Media: Changing Things up a bit.

One lesson that I've learned over the past couple of years is that I've got a great face for blogging.

After two plus years of (admittedly lazily) putting up video content my You Tube channel has exactly 38 followers.

If you're not familiar with YouTube stuff, that sucks. Which means, by extension, I suck at the vlogging thing and there's very little about what Mrs. TPM and I do that really makes people want to tune in, subscribe, like etc. Of course, it probably does not help that I'm a) Typically too lazy/drunk to remember to record shit, and b) typically too disinterested/lazy to actually edit videos.

It's not y'all, it's me.

With that in mind I'm making some changes. For one, as you've seen lately, I'm firing the blog back up. I'm more comfortable writing here than I am talking over there and I have more freedom here to write about what I want. Unlike my past trends, I'm not shutting down my YouTube channel, but there will be no more trip reports etc. There might be some room tours, and possibly come sports season a sports-betting vlog or three, but no more trip reports.

For future Trip Reports I'm going back to The Vegas Fanatics Board where I post under the user name "Nick Pappageorgio".  You don't have to be a member to view the reports, and I'll link to them on this blog, but you do have to create a "free" account to post on that board. It's ran by a couple of really good people who I support with $25 annually to help them defray costs, and also get an ad-free experience.

I'll also keep posting under @CoryWCrow (The PublicMoney) on Twitter. And yes, that is my real name. I don't put anything on that machine that I do not stand behind, nor am ashamed of, nor am I worried about my work finding something on there that might get me in trouble/suspended/fired.  Same as here.

When I started the YouTube channel I thought it would be a laugh. What I did not realize is that, to be perfectly blunt, Mrs. TPM and I are actually pretty boring, and we're not big fans of recording every damn thing that we do. That makes for a piss-poor Vlog if you ask me.

I'll be starting some discussions on there about the upcoming football season soon however, once I get my numbers tied down and make my initial plays. I'm looking forward to this change because I really miss writing here on a consistent basis, and I really miss writing about sports, sports betting, gambling, casinos etc. I'll probably throw in some travel related stuff as well, provided we're actually allowed to keep traveling.

What you're not going to see much of any more is a ton of politics. I was blogging about them for a while there but mostly because what we were seeing in the media and from politicians was a ton of bollocks. That doesn't mean that I won't talk about politics, especially as it relates to sports, sports betting or travel, but it does mean that I'm not going to revert to being a political blogger.

As you're reading this, I will be on the last day of a quick casino trip to Tulsa. I'm hoping you decide to check into Vegas Fanatics and my Twitter account to see how it all went.

Good Luck, best smart, win jackpots.

Video Poker: The Deal, The Hold, The Draw, The Miss and so on.

Video Poker is the worst game in the world, and I love it so.

About six years back I made the transition from playing primarily live poker to the video version. I'm not sure when I made the decision to do so but there was a point where I got tired of sitting at a 4-8 limit game, trying to snag the bad beat jackpot to be perfectly honest, and having some knob sit down at the table wearing a hoodie and shades saying "I'm getting prepped for the WSOP."

Uh huh.

There was one game, at a casino that shall remain nameless, where I was playing against a local at dark-thirty in the morning and he caught a 3-outer on the river to win a modest pot. He then started to curse me, calling me a "f-ing donkey" and other things that bad poker players like to say when they get lucky (to try and put the other person on tilt) and I just replied "You're a G-damn poker god sir".

Which earned me a profanity warning from the chair.

Gobsmacked by this I disputed it, which got the floor manager called over. I stated my case and he then told me I could either behave or take my business elsewhere. I took my business elsewhere and never darkened the door of that particular poker room again.

But I kept playing. For one, that was the game that I knew best and two, I really wasn't in the mood to go back to the cat and mouse game that is advantage blackjack.

Then I found video poker.

At first, it was the most frustrating thing in the world. I knew that strategy existed, and I was in the process of learning it, but I was still making a TON of mistakes and premium hands were few and far between. I had seen people who never played video poker before sit down next to me and hit a Royal Flush not even knowing what they were doing.  As for me? I thought I was never going to hit one. After playing live poker since I was 16 (at home games at first, then at casinos when I turned 21) and through all of the years, and five years of pretty much being a video poker junkie, I finally got my first.one. It happened on June 10, 2017. I held KQJ of hearts and drew the A-10. It was a progressive Royal to boot. Which was fairly high ($1638.92) and was one heck of a way to finish off the last night of a trip.

Since that date I've had 19 more. My lifetime count is 20.

Why the increase?

Of course, luck is one big reason but improved strategy helped a LOT as well. The fact is I more consistently put myself in a better position to draw a royal now than I did for the first few years playing. In fact, since 2017 I've only gone one year without hitting a royal, the COVID impacted trash-fire that was 2020.  In 2021 (over four gambling trips) I've had 7 royals, five alone in March and April at Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas.

Here's the thing, and (belatedly) the point of this blog: Despite the above the reality of playing video poker is much the same as it was in the early days. Yes, I'm better at the game now and have a better understanding of it. I can adjust strategy depending on the pay-table and I understand the concept and impact of penalty cards. (although, to be honest, those are still where the majority of my strategy mistakes lie)

When you sit down to a video poker machine the reality is that you are most likely in for a session of woe and heartbreak. That dealt 4-to-a-royal will not convert, you're going to miss on many dealt trips. I once missed on 78 dealt trips in a row.

The point is, things happen, bad runs happen and you're going to have losing sessions far more often then you have winning ones. The game will make you shake your head when walking away thinking "what just happened there?"

One additional lesson that I've learned over the years is to have fun. Video Poker is entertainment, it's not a grind. Yes, you can settle in and grind for points from time to time (especially if you're close to moving to the next tier on the loyalty card) but that doesn't mean that you've got to let it ruin your mood.

If you're on a machine where every hand is a miss and the money is falling away faster than Conor McGregor's career and reputation, take yourself a little break and go for a walk. Don't sit there and stew over it.

Unlike BlackJack (Lose 4 and hit the door) there's no real hard and fast rule for when to get up from a VP machine. But I have found this: If I sit down and fire two "bullets" ($100 on either a $1 single line or $0.25 multi-play currently, a while back it was $40 for $0.25 single-line) and hit nothing of note it's time to take a break. Stand up, walk around and regroup before firing again. Don't empty your clip all at once. The more you go Deal, Hold, Draw, Miss, the more frustrated you're going to get and the more strategy errors you'll find yourself making.

Clear head, clear heart, clear mind.

Have fun, hit Royals, smile more.

Good luck.

Travel Frustrations: How Airports Work

Let's be honest with one another. There's no other way to be.

A big part of the reason a lot of people hate airports is because they are either too dim, or too selfish, to understand how airports work. From carry-on luggage the size of small aircraft carriers to waiting until the last possible minute in the security line to remove the contents of a fair-sized 7-11 from your pockets to generally just not working and playing well with others, the dreaded THOSE people have devolved air-travel into one of the least enjoyable means to get from Point A to (after a stop at Point B and Possibly Point C) Point D.

Of course, it doesn't have to be this way, just as driving in Houston Texas doesn't have to be an exercise in shit-showery. Airports, like roadways, operate with a beat that's pretty easy to follow if you just pay attention.

It all starts upon arrival. Give yourself plenty of time. The TSA says 2 hours but the truth is, if you're in a smaller airport, that's probably a little excessive.  When I fly out of IAH or HOU in Houston? Yup, I'm there two hours early. Of course, I'm also factoring in a short meal and a cocktail. If I fly out of say, TUL? Two hours is way too long. I'm typically there around an hour before my flight and I always make it with time to spare. But read the room, if it's a Holiday weekend it might take longer, on a Wednesday in February shorter.

Second, If you're driving a car and dropping off a passenger please drop them off and clear the unloading lane. I realize you have to say goodbye, and that this is the love of your life leaving and you need to be with them for five precious minutes longer. But, you don't. You should have had sex/a last meal/last moments together the night before your flight. The airport departures lane is not the place for this to happen.

Now lets go to the check-in process.

This might seem a novel idea but once we hop out of the parking shuttle, before we go inside, Mrs. TPM and I remove all metal objects from our pockets and person and place them in our carry-on bags in easy reach.  Typically I go to the outside wall, put my checked bag (or roller-board) on the ground against it, stack my "personal item" (i.e. backpack or duffel) on top and put my wallet, car keys, watch, rings, FitBit, vapes, and anything else in my pocket in my carry-on. When I go up to check in the only two things I have still on my person, and not in my bag, is my phone and ID. I need my ID to check my bags and my phone to pull the reservation number from to start the check in process at the Kiosk.

In all the bag check process for us takes all of 10 minutes, and that's if there's a line and a crowd.

Security.

I've already put everything away so now I stow my cell phone in either the side pouch of my duffel or in the side netting of my backpack. The only thing that I have out is my ID and boarding pass. That's all I need.  We both have TSA pre-check (the best money you'll spend travelling, so I don't have to take off my shoes, belt (although I sometimes do because the buckle can set off the metal detector) or remove my computer items from my bag. I'm through security in less than a minute (again, longer if there's a line) and on to the conveyor belt.

When we hit the belt to have our bags scanned the process is simple, into a pouch goes our ID and boarding pass (you won't need the latter until you board the plane) we push our luggage onto the belt and walk, metal free, through the detector.  Yes, it's a bummer when you get selected for additional screening but them's the breaks. After screening we find an empty bench and start the process of pulling out our rings, phones, belts, watches, wallets, Fit Bits, etc. and getting them placed back where they belong.

Once we're put back together, we each head to the restroom, one watching the bags while the other is inside. After that, we usually head to some place for a bite and a cocktail.

Important note in these airport restaurants, when seated at a table, please place your bags either under your table or on the ground in front of your chair. Not on the table next to you, not in a walk way where everyone is going to trip over them, and not on a chair at the table next to you. This is just simple courtesy but it's not widely practiced.

On a normal trip we have arrived at the airport, checked our bags, gone through security and had a quick bite to eat and a cocktail (or three) at a restaurant, and typically it's still around 30-45 min until our flight. At this point we'll amble over to the gate, each of us will take turns making one final restroom trip, Mrs. TPM will run into a store and grab water and soft drinks for us, and then we put all of our bags on an end chair and stand up until the flight boards. I don't get sitting in the lobby especially when you're about to be seated inside a pressurized metal tube for several hours. Stand up, stretch your legs. Trust me, you'll feel better on the flight.

In my just completed mini-series regarding preparing for a casino trip I mentioned the importance of just having even the most basic of plans when traveling. This is a far more specific example but it provides you with some details about how we get through airports quickly and efficiently.

I'm a firm believer if most people would do this we would live in a better, and saner, travel world.

Give it a try next time you fly. Or, just make it work for you.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Five: Re-Confirm your Reservations

 I'm going to start this last one off with a story that has two benefits. It happened to me so I have first-hand knowledge of it and it also happens to be true.

A few years back, right after the opening of Golden Nugget Lake Charles, I received an e-mail offer that seemed too good to be true.  I got with a friend and we agreed that visiting this place would be a fine time so I booked two rooms, by calling a number, for a night and we were ready to roll.

Fast forward to us arriving.  The deal WAS too good to be true. It was a "space available" offer handled by a 3rd party and there was no space available.  So, there we were, facing our friends having to admit that we screwed the pooch, and without rooms for the night.

Fortunately I had status at the hotel next door and we were able to score a couple of rooms at a very reduced rate for the weekend.  But lesson learned, since that time I always call and confirm my reservations with the front desk, restaurant, my host, etc. prior to leaving on any trip.

The company that I booked with is no longer in business and, as I understand it, deals like that these days are few and far between because of the fact that people got tired of showing up and finding no space was available and they had no rooms. In short, it was a bad idea that died a quick business death.

With modern reservation systems and most (not all but most) restaurants using either Open Table or Seven Rooms or some other 3rd party app for their reservations systems it's highly unlikely that your reservation will not be cancelled without notice.

In fact, it's most likely that you'll get an e-mail or Text asking you to confirm.  

In either case, I urge you to answer these e-mails and texts and get confirmation from them (and save it) that your reservation is valid. I did have one time where I did this, and the establishments computers went bonkers, but my reservation was honored because I produced the confirmation text.

If you call in and speak with a person and get a reservation be sure to call in and confirm a couple of days before your trip. This is best for spa appointments, pool cabanas, day-beds etc. Believe me, there's nothing worse than having something like this planned and showing up and they have you no where in the system and everything is booked up.

The above goes double for restaurants and bars (if said bar requires a reservation).

The thing about casino trips is that they can be a good time and they offer many experiences under the same roof. Nicer casino resorts offer gambling, pools, spas, fine dining and a host of other entertainment options. While customer service and a well ran property can help you alleviate many headaches, a little prior-planning and preparation can elevate your travel experience from just OK, to outstanding.

Ultimately, having a good trip is up to you. Yes, their are things out of your control which can be frustrating, but many of the things that go wrong are firmly in your wheelhouse of control. Just as you can have a better flight experience by understanding and knowing how airports and airlines work, you can really enhance your casino experience by understanding how they work.

Happy travelling, I hope you enjoyed this short series and at least took something away that either reminded you of something you knew and might have overlooked, or provided you with some new travel insight.

Good luck.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Four: Make Sure your Transportation is Covered/Planned to all Destinations

During the early part of 2021 getting around Las Vegas was, to be blunt, a huge, stinking mess. Uber/Lyft were still not allowed to surge price, the State was still offering the Federal boost to unemployment and many workers, understandably worried about contracting COVID-19 due to the absence of a vaccine, decided that the better decision for them, and their families, was to stay home.

To be honest I did not blame them.

Today things are opening up a little but staffing shortages still mean that taxis, ride share, and even Limousines, are in shorter supply. (Word on the Street [OK, Twitter] is that the Cosmopolitan is out-sourcing their Limo service to Presidential for high-rollers these days)

While Las Vegas is, and can be, a fun place, it's certainly no fun if you're stuck somewhere on the other side of the Strip, 40 minutes prior to the start of your show and there's nary a taxi or ride share to be found.

Want to really find yourself frustrated? Try hopping off of the plane and seeing the Taxi and Ride Share lines longer than lines for bachelors lined up to get a chance to kiss Miley Cyrus.  Believe me, despite my lack of interest in Ms. Miley, that's pretty long.

I recommend looking online and purchasing a round-trip Limo package to/from the airport to your hotel in Vegas. For one, you skip the line, the driver will usually meet you with your name in an iPad in Baggage Claim and you can have all of the taxi and ride share folks wondering if you're a high roller, they will carry your luggage, sometimes you can make a stop at a liquor store and stock up on beer, liquor, water, energy drinks etc. for your room, and oft-times these packages come with a bottle of Sparkling Wine. (They will say Champagne, but they use that term loosely at times.) 

Most importantly, when you're ready to head to the airport, when everyone else is in the Taxi line fervently checking their watches and hoping they don't get long-hauled on the way back and actually make their flights (oh yeah, one more plus, you don't have to worry about long-hauling because you pay a flat rate) you're out there over by the valet casually waiting for your car to show up, that no one else is going to fight you for, who will get you to the airport as leisurely (or as quickly) as you like.

The best part?  The round-trip rate is only slightly more expensive than a cab would be.

I also choose a limousine service if I'm transferring from one resort to another in the middle of my stay. No Champagne usually, but far less hassle as well.

Now, what I said above was for getting to your hotel, in Vegas, the issue of getting around town from resort to resort is a personal one, and in most cities (including Vegas) you're going to be limited to four options.

1. Taxi Service Different cities have different qualities of Taxi service. In some cities, such as Vegas, the service is quite robust. On others, such as Lake Charles, it's very spotty. The problem with all is the age-old issue of long-hauling. Some cities/companies have attempted to get around this with flat-rate rides, which charges a rate based on where you are going from and to. This is in an attempt to combat the ride-share companies of course, it makes long-hauling not a concern, and it's a certain step in the right direction.

2. Ride Share Despite their detractors (and their are many) Uber/Lyft and the other ride share companies have a lot of proponents and offer real flexibility getting around (most) towns of any real size. Yes, surge pricing is a problem to those lacking a general understanding of the law of supply and demand, and many drivers are leery of returning to work because riders are becoming increasingly anti-social, but overall we've found it to be a great way to interact with the locals and learn a lot about the cities that we've visited.

3. Public Transportation Again, the quality and robustness of this option will vary widely depending on where you are. In some places, public transportation is actually a very good way to get around town, in some, it's non-existent. Another variable in this is how comfortable you are riding in a bus, or train, full of total strangers. If that kind of things is outside of your comfort zone, this might not be a viable option.

4. Rent your own car I know a lot of people that do this in Las Vegas, and this is my go-to option in other casino cities in which I have to fly to. In most non-Vegas casino cities the casino you are in is the only thing remotely close, with almost nothing in walking distance. In order to explore the city, or go eat at a restaurant somewhere else, having a rental car might be your only viable way to get around.

If you're driving to your local, of course, you will have your own car and none of these should be a concern.

Unless you've been drinking.  And please don't drive under the influence.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Three: Check the Weather and Pack Accordingly

I know, I know, this one seems easy.

"Well, of course I packed for the weather you dummy, do you think I'm dense?"

No, I don't. As a matter of fact because you're reading this blog, and because you follow me on Twitter and YouTube I know that you are an incredibly intelligent person. You are admired by all around you and they stand in awe of your oratory skills and incomparable decision making.

But again, this post is not directed toward the veteran casino patron, it's directed for those of you who stumble on to this blog and might be planning your first casino trip but are a little bit in the dark about what to expect.

And it's OK to be ignorant of those things. Ignorance just means that you have not been exposed to something yet. Ignorant is not a bad thing, it's just a thing.  We are all born ignorant, we have to acquire stupidity.

Good news, in the United States of America, almost all casinos operate under a casual dress code. You need to be wearing clothes (shirts, shorts, shoes/sandals etc.) but outside of that there is really not much else. Heck, I've seen people in the Aria playing slots in their swimsuit with a bathrobe and slippers (provided by the casino of course) and that' about it.

So, in the Summer, pack shorts and t-shirts, (even sleeveless is OK) wear flip-flops, it's really no big deal. If you're going to a casino in Europe a friendly reminder here is that they all do have more stringent dress codes so do your research before travelling abroad (when we're allowed to do that again obviously).

But also remember this: They keep it COLD in casinos. And they do this for a reason. A cold gambler is an AWAKE gambler, and an AWAKE gambler is more likely to keep playing longer. So, if you're cold natured, bring a hoodie or a light jacket, even in the Summer (Mrs. TPM does). In the Winter your best bet is to layer, and wear outer layers that are easily stored (wrapped around the shoulders, waist etc.) This is especially true in Vegas during Winter/Spring/Late Fall where it can be downright cold in the mornings and evenings and rather warm during the heat of the day. Just because the weather outside is bake cookies on the car dashboard hot, does not mean that the casino is going to be the same way. In short, be prepared.

Swimsuits are great on pool days, but don't forget a cover-up for walking back to your room (you're not allowed to bring the towels out of the pool area) and you're probably not going to be allowed to walk through the casino shirtless (men) or in a bikini (ladies) to get back to your room.

If you're going to eat at a nicer restaurant they are probably going to require shirts with sleeves. Some will be business casual and your shorts will be right out. Some shows are like this as well. Typically I bring two nicer outfits for fancier places and that's about all I need.  Of course, I normally wear collared, button front, short-sleeved shirts so really all I need are a nice pair of shoes and khakis, your mileage may vary.

Don't forget your toiletries, sun-screen, and two extra pairs of clothes. One for walking around town in case an accident happens (spills, on the casino floor, can and do happen) and one comfortable option in case you spend time in your room (gym shorts, t-shirt etc.) You'll find this very important if your room has a balcony.

Remember to bring power cords, because nothing sucks worse than having your phone, iPad, etc. run out of power, and organize and secure any medicines, supplements, etc. that you need. 

I save space by flying to my destination in the same clothes that I wear when I fly back home. After I get to my room I change into my clothes for the rest of the day, hang my travel clothes on hangers an hit them with Febreeze.

The point of all this is to remind you to put some thought into your packing and try to avoid having your (lack of) proper packing limit what you can do on your entertainment vacation once you arrive. Flexibility and planning are the key.

Also, comfortable shoes. That cannot be stressed enough.

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step Two: Determine your Bank-roll and Try to make a daily budget.

If, like me, you are a casino (and gambling) veteran there is probably not gong to be much in this post for you. As a matter of fact, there might not be much in this entire series for you. But, my hope is that through this entire series every reader at least finds something they find interesting and useful.

If not?  Well, you get what you pay for.

Budgets. No gambler thinks that they are going to need a budget. They believe that this trip will be the one where they win early and often, where they hit so big on the first day that they'll pocket a fortune and be able to play off of a fraction of their winnings for the remainder of the trip.

That is the fantasy. That it's the one fantasy depicted on TV, movies and Vegas commercials goes without saying.  As an aside, you'll rarely see people in a casino as happy, joyful and (to be frank) as young and pretty as you see on casino adverts, especially sitting at slots on what is an obvious losing pull.

Reality is somewhat different. The hard reality is that every game in a casino is a negative expectation game. What that means is that, when you sit down, the odds on the game favor (sometimes overwhelming and sometimes slightly) the casino taking more of your money than you take from them. This is not done by cheating (casinos don't need to cheat) in regulated jurisdictions it's done by maths.

One of my favorite sayings in all of gambling is from the book:  1000 Best Casino Tips and Tricks by Bill Burton.

"Casinos believe in math, gambler's believe in luck. Guess which ones are most successful?"

Because all gambling is an exercise in Math you really need to plan ahead to determine the following prior to any casino trip:

1. "How much can I afford to lose?" When you make your casino budget you should really understand this concept. When you go to a theater to watch a movie, it's pretty easy to determine the amount of money you're going to spend. The prices are on the menu, and once you pay that money is gone in exchange for whatever you purchased. In gambling, it's different. Yes, you know the price per spin but you don't know HOW MANY spins (or hands, or rolls etc.) that you're going to be making. At a movie, the price of one ticket is a known factor, and you're going to get to watch one movie and then that's it. (excepting double headers obviously, but the logic still stands) In gambling, you know the amount of the wager (ticket) but you do not know before hand what the result of that wager will be. You might win, lose it all, lose some of it, push etc. You might get a bonus and "free" spins. The fact is you don't know. The only way to know how much you're going to lose is to set a budget up front, and then stick to it. The risk of not doing this is getting caught up in the heat of the game and spending money that you need for rent, food, mortgage, your kids schools. Believe me it happens. (Not to me personally, but I've seen it happen to some that I know)

2. "OK, I'll (most) probably lose, but how to I make my money LAST?" This is where creating a daily budget comes in, and it's the gambling concept that takes the most discipline among all of the one's I'm discussing today. There are many ways to do this, bring cash and leave your ATM card behind, use the envelope method, If you have a bank nearby you can go by the ATM at the branch each morning etc. There's also casino credit and taking out a marker. The point is that all of these take discipline. Especially if you have a terrible day and the bankroll is gone by 6PM it could be hard to not hit up the ATM, go to your room and open up the next day's envelope, get an additional marker, take a cash advance etc. Of all these methods taking a cash advance is by far the worst. Your credit card company will charge you very high interest rates on this which you will have to overcome in addition to the house edge. 2nd is the ATM in the casino option, where fees can run as high as $9.99 on withdrawals (that I've heard about, I've personally seen them as high as $7.99). Getting an additional marker off of your line of credit is OK but, remember this: All markers are considered a legal debt and must be paid back (settled) either upon check out (especially if you've had a winning trip) or within a specified amount of time following your trip. Failure to repay these can result in serious consequences. Grabbing more money out of the room is your least-worst option but it still reduces your gambling budget for the following days which makes the worse options even more likely if you find yourself chasing losses.

3. "But the odds are I have to get it back some time right?" Wrong. Again, the odds are ALWAYS with the house. Always*. Chasing losses is one of the worst things you can do in a casino, and one of the hardest things to avoid doing. The reason for this is simple: Gambling is fun. The thrill of a win activates Dopamine in the body which gives you a rush. If you become addicted to this rush you can develop problem gambling and that, without question, is a bad thing. While many blame the casinos and put the onus on them for stopping problem gambling the fact of the matter is the only one who truly understands your current life situation and what you can really afford to lose is you, your loved ones and your friends. Certainly the casinos share some onus to keep more problem gamblers from playing, but saying that a casino is liable because you messed up and lost your mortgage for the month and are getting evicted (while saying nothing about this in the casino and generally having a grand time [until the point you lose that is]) is not going to help you get your money back. Shortened: If you lose your daily bankroll, stop.  Better yet put a stop-loss on yourself so that you have some money left at the end of the day.

4. "Why can't I just gamble my winnings? After all it's the casino's money!" This is one of the biggest fallacies that problem gamblers tell themselves after a win. Right along with "I'm going to turn this big win into a bigger one!" Once you hit a winning pull, hand, deal, etc. and get paid out your winnings that money no longer belongs to the casino, it belongs solely to you. The casino has no claim on it to the extent that you refuse to give it back to them. Again, there are many ways to ensure you keep your winnings. I use the envelope method and split my budget into daily "allowances". If I hit a jackpot it goes into the 'take home' envelope never to be played this trip again. If I hit a big slot or VP win it's separated from my daily gambling budget and does not get churned (replayed). By doing this it's a very rare day that I end up with absolutely nothing at the end of the day.

Bonus tip: Budget a little bit more than you otherwise would for your "fist day/night". This is especially true if you really enjoy gambling but haven't been in a casino for a while. Your adrenaline is going to be pumping full chat and you are going to play more than you intended.  Mrs. TPM and I call this "CASINO!!!!!!!!!" and it gets us every time. After that first night however the thrill is less and we settle firmly into our budgeted ways.

Remember: Just like food, drinks, shows, pools, spas and souvenirs, gambling is a part of your entertainment budget. You would not eat at a restaurant, buy several rounds of drinks, go to a show, rent a cabana or get a massage without knowing the price, why should your gambling be any different?

Or why, is it any less important? 

*The obvious exceptions to this are card counting in blackjack (likely to get you backed off of the game and eighty-sixed from the casino), some full-pay pay tables in Video Poker or a VP progressive that swings the expected return to over 100% (almost impossible to find in the wild) or, to be blunt, cheating (illegal and will most likely get you arrested, banned for life from gambling and placed in prison)

Preparations for a Casino Trip Step One: Create your Rough-Draft Plan

If you enjoy such things, heading to a casino for your first time, or after some time away, can be an exciting thing. And, believe it or not, planning said trip doesn't mean micro-managing every single thing you're going to do every single second of the day.

For one, time in casinos moves at a weird pace. What seems like an hour can only be 15 minutes if you're getting your running cold on the gamble, or 3 hours if you're on a winning streak. Because of this my plans are more guidelines than actual rules. Kind of like the Pirate's Code if you will.

But, when planning, I do want to have a basic idea of where I want to go and what I want to see. Importantly, I want to have a fairly firm idea of where I want to eat. Current COVID era this is primarily important because many restaurants (especially in Las Vegas) are very difficult to get into even WITH reservations.  So plan early, reserve early, and remember that, should your plans change, you can always cancel or re-schedule if needed. Don't get caught out having to stop by the casino gift-shop for a bag of chips and a bottle of soda for dinner when there are usually several options available to you.

Aside from dining, activities, shows, it's a good idea to plan out any additional things you want to get accomplished on your trip. A pool day, for example, during peak times, usually requires reservations of one sort or the other. Even if you don't require a reservation it's probably a good idea to plan your pool day any way because it's going to have an effect on your dinner plans, gaming plans, etc.

This concept might seem a little odd, but I also sketch out on my trips roughly when, where, and how long, my gambling sessions are going to be. This is, as you might imagine, an inexact science because they will fluctuate greatly in duration based on the status of my bank roll.  But, since a not-insignificant part of playing is the generation of comps, I always want to ensure that I have budgeted enough soak-time on the video poker machines to drive my theoretical to a level that will keep the casino and (where applicable) my host happy.

Some tips for scheduling.

1. Always assume that things will take a little longer than you think they will. Especially in Vegas this is going to happen. Partially due to long wait times but also, hey, you're on vacation. If you're eating in a nice restaurant don't rush that meal. We always plan to have pre-dinner cocktails, appetizers, a salad course, the mains, and then possibly and espresso and Limoncello at nice dinners. This process can take two hours (longer if we get a bottle of wine) and that's OK. The good news is that almost all casino floors are open 24 hours.

2. Don't overschedule, keep some flexibility. You never know what is going to happen on a casino trip so don't tie yourself down. If you have planned to gamble in the morning and then go to the pool, don't be afraid to hit the pool early (if it's open) if the gambling session is bad. Don't plan dinner at 7:00 and a show at 8:00. Give yourself time.

3. Don't beat yourself up if you don't do everything you had planned to do. Maybe you find something different that you did not know about? Possibly the gambling went well and took longer than you wanted.  I cannot tell you how many times we have had the High Roller on our list and just did not make it because of one thing or another. That's OK, one time we'll get there.  And if we don't?  The world will not end.

Trust me when I tell you that it's in your best interest to have a rough idea of what you're going to do in a casino.  The ONE exception to this is if you're a degenerate gambler who knows that they're going to be spending the bulk of their time playing the game of their choice and grabbing food on the fly.

If you're that person?  You do you.  And good luck.

Preparations for a Casino Trip: Do's, Don'ts and things to possibly consider.

 As I type this, I'm just about one week from hopping onto a plane and flying to a city in State that allows resort casinos.  Whether I'm going to Las Vegas, Lake Charles Louisiana (which would be a drive, not a flight), Bossier City Louisiana, Southern Oklahoma, Mississippi or Tulsa Oklahoma my pre-trip preparations are the same. I'm going to attempt a series of posts here going over what I do to get ready in the hope that, within all of this, you'll find some things you might not have thought of that will help you in your future trips.

Let's get straight to the list shall we?

1. Create a rough-draft plan of what you expect to do and see while there.

2. Determine your bank-roll and try to make a daily gaming budget.

3. Check the weather and pack accordingly.

4. Make sure your transportation is covered/planned to all destinations.

5. Re-confirm all reservations.

While all of this seems fairly straight-forward on the surface I'm going to focus on each over the next few days in further detail, so you can see where the pratfalls lie.

I'll start publishing these tomorrow, and will try and provide links to each of the posts at the bottom of the latest post for easy reference.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go create my rough-draft plan.