Quarterly visit to my money
Drove from Phoenix for the first time. Was surprised that the trip is 100 miles more than LA to Vegas. Checked into Bellagio at the $99 poker rate, this time with my wife. Room had both the shower and sink drains clogged, 4 light bulbs out and filthy carpet. Maintenance has obviously been foregone. They fixed it all, sans carpet, pretty quickly. The public areas are still well maintained. Never saw the town this empty. Monday and Tuesday morning 3 or 4 tables were active. The $4-8 game which I play starts up about 11AM. No game after 2-3AM. This was true at the Venetian and Wynn also. Those three venues almost always had $4-8 games going around the clock, esp Venetian. I put in 21 hours of poker and lost about $300. Considering I made about $700 in Jan. I feel OK about that. Still prefer the B poker room, even to Venetian even though I had a problem with a snotty a-hole shift manager. Complained about him to the poker room mgr, very nice young man, who handled me perfectly and with all the class missing from Vegas these days. Played 1 afternoon again at Aria. Room a bit dark and as mentioned here no cell phone reception. No 4-8 game just $3-6 but at the time that was better than nothing at the other rooms. Pleasant mgt. Still prefer the B. Went back to Aureole in Mandalay for dinner. Good food and service. Absolutely no class at all. Mandalay, which I had not been in for years, has gotten a bit seedy too. Went downtown to Fremont St. for first time in 20 years. Depressing; complete failure. Don't bother.
Glad you had a good time
Can you elaborate on the Freemont experience? I've been going to Vegas 2-3 times a year for the past 4 years & have never been to Freemont St. I am going to Vegas at the end of March with my wife thanks to a great rate from MGM. We were planning on hitting up Freemont st finally thanks to all the Travel channel shows, Vegas DO's & Dont's and Extreme Vegas hyped it up a lot. We will also be there on the not so peak days, Sunday-Wednesday. Was it just dead, scary and or unsafe?
@larfingravy
+1
@Open24hrz
I'll put my 2 cents in - downtown is a little shady, especially if you get too far off of Fremont - drunks, hookers, degens, etc. It also can be a little hard to get down there and park. Balance this with old school Vegas history and some famous deals (99 cent stuff, Fried Twinkies, $9 Prime Rib dinners) and it is worth a visit one evening. I definitely wouldn't recommend staying down there for days, and I think there is better poker to be found on the Strip.
Sounds to me like losing has made you dislike so many places. Had to be one of the most negative poker trip reports I have ever read....thankfully it was short.
Yes, stay away from downtown
...I love it down there and hate when it gets too crowded.
Stay on the overpriced strip.
Now you may get more poker on the strip, but the Binion's tourneys are fun, and you don't have moronic young kids wearing ipods, hoodies and sunglasses, acting like every hand is televised!!!
Fremont St is a lot seedier than I remembered it. Don't know if it's unsafe but ew were not comfortable. The "experience" is a ceiling kind of screenm saver with a nothing space motif for 15 minutes or so. Truly, nada. We went to Firefly restaurant and got a seat facing the "show". Waited 20 minutes without getting a drink and left. Not worth the bother.
@alf1052
You must have missed the shows at 8p, 9p 10p and 11p....Queen, Thorogood, Kiss, etc.....you missed all of those shows on the overhead lights!!!
I work and live in NYC and was not scared or uncomfortable in downtown Vegas, NYC is a lot worse and there is no reason to fear either place.
Harry: Do you have negative ears? My report is totally factual AS I SEE IT. It is my report. You love downtown, go to it. No accounting for taste. I go to play poker and I love to play.Losing $300 is a positive for me. I get great fun and entertainment for $15 per hour. Sometimes, not often, I get paid to have all this fun. I believe the foregoing is positive. The strip, on the other hand, has been and always will be overpriced. One should stay away if one does not like it. For me, when I'm alone the counter at Bellagio or a bowl of soup in Noodles is enough. I love Le Cirque but not at those prices given what you get for it. Last tip I'm giving you Harry---Sell your MGM stock.
@harryhood
Harry: You are right, I did not see any of those shows. Therefore, my review on the "show" is flawed and I withdraw it. I still won't go back. Fremont St is a lot like 149th and 3rd ave. when I was a kid. Never went there either. Would you feel safer on 66th and Park or Fremont St??
You must have missed the shows at 8p, 9p 10p and 11p....Queen, Thorogood, Kiss, etc.....you missed all of those shows on the overhead lights!!!
I work and live in NYC and was not scared or uncomfortable in downtown Vegas, NYC is a lot worse and there is no reason to fear either place.[/quote]
[quote="alf1052"]Harry: Do you have negative ears? My report is totally factual AS I SEE IT. It is my report. You love downtown, go to it. No accounting for taste. I go to play poker and I love to play.Losing $300 is a positive for me. I get great fun and entertainment for $15 per hour. Sometimes, not often, I get paid to have all this fun. I believe the foregoing is positive. The strip, on the other hand, has been and always will be overpriced. One should stay away if one does not like it. For me, when I'm alone the counter at Bellagio or a bowl of soup in Noodles is enough. I love Le Cirque but not at those prices given what you get for it. Last tip I'm giving you Harry---Sell your MGM stock.
There was no need for a reply but I knew you would try......so I have "negative ears?" (that makes sense, right? awful) And if losing $300 makes you happy then you are quite the gambler. Keep your "tips" I dont buy stock in casino's or their owners.....plus I wouldn't take stock advice from a person who loses $300 and is happy with that. Have a nice day.
@harryhood [/quote]
Now , the maven who knows all, is going to tell me when to reply. What's awful is your ability to attack. You are a real people person so I love your style. Have a nice life and don't forget never play the 7-2 . Your reply was, of course, necessary. Don't reply; I won't read it.
Liar and a loser...good for you! You read it dummy.
I have always enjoyed Freemont Street. The laser light show is excellent and the food at the Golden Nugget is superb. I had a good time in every casino I've played in while down there. My only suggestion is to clear out about 10 or 11 PM.
@scitchr888
I have always enjoyed Freemont Street. The laser light show is excellent and the food at the Golden Nugget is superb. I had a good time in every casino I've played in while down there. My only suggestion is to clear out about 10 or 11 PM.
[/quote]
Exactly! People get robbed on the strip in the late night/early morning hours. Be cautious at all times, wherever you are.....
I still love the strip, but downtown just puts it all in one spot.
you guys are funny.
I actually like Fremont Street. Golden Nugget lunch buffet is awesome. I haven't had the breakfast or dinner buffet but if you play poker for 4 straight hours you can get comped a $10 ticket to use at the buffet or the cafe by the sports book.
I was disappointed in the Tony Roma 9pm-11pm Steak/lobster tail. The steak was a Denny's reject. Half the size of my plate and 5/16" thick (I miked it...).
I do like the $1 Nathan's dogs at the Mermaid and do occassionaly get the deep fried twinkie.
If you are riding the Deuce it drops you off by Walgreen's if you are coming from the Strip. To return to the strip you catch the bus one block further down towards the El Cortez. That block to get to EC has cleaned up a bit in the last year and is not as scary as it used to be.
If you catch the light show in conjunction with any music being featured it is pretty cool.