Las Vegas, Nevada -- Trip Report (2024)

Friday May 13th Part 2 (The time D made nothing but bad choices)
Thank you to everyone that chimed in. I try really hard not to be anti food places because I can usually find something I like...but I was nervous about the CJ's in Barstow.

Anyways, onwards and upwards...

As we approached the Rio, we made a plan. As with most plans, especially in beautiful Las Vegas, things went down the crapper, and oh boy they went down the crap shack in a hurry. Let me preface this by saying, I make terrible gambling decision all the time (You are going to read about mine soon enough) If you search me, you can find two of them at Pechanga on here. I lose more than I win. So far all I have shared are winning stories. Since I started writing on here, I have been pretty hot at gambling, but overall like many of us I am lifetime down. I get mad and chase. I get drunk and chase. I chase, and I chase. ALL THAT BEING SAID. My buddy D is a bigger idiot than I am..

Now knowing all that, as we approached the Rio these are my exact words "Look idiots, I have checked in online, I am going to check in, drop my bags off, wave to the pretty ladies dancing, take a lyft (HALF OFF RIDES!!) and literally be at the Strat (LOL) before you probably finishing checking in or within a few minutes of...DON'T MAKE ANY STUPID DECISIONS!!" D looked at me with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye and said "I don't know what you are talking about" Right there, I knew his trip was doomed.

See Also

One Week In July...Trip Report

Checking in at the Rio was as promised a breeze. I was in my room 4 minutes after walking through the doors. Room 312. I was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY up there. And by WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY up there, I mean I could lose all my money, jump out the window (If it opened) and not know that I jumped off anything. Whatever, I wouldn't spend much time in the room anyways. As I walked out, I noticed room 310 was "on and poppin" or it was "lit" as the kids would say. HMMMMM, I wonder if that would be a factor in a vacation. (Spoiler alert, yes) Anyways I contacted lyft, found the lyft pickup (if anyone is interested it's out back past the buffet)

Lyft arrived as I do like we were shooting a promo for them, and we were on the way to the strat (LOL) in moments. I was literally walking into the Strat (LOL) 10 minutes after I got into my man's 2016 Elantra. Cost me 4.24 and with tip 8.24. I love Lyft. I call W to see what's up. He answered and said D is at the table already. I said how is he doing.."down 100" was the response. Sigh, but hey it's not the end of the world. I hustled in and found D at the blackjack table. (Btw, they hadn't made it to check in yet...bags sitting next to him... TRUE DEGEN) W was in line I guess. So I come over to my buddy and say what's the temp here man how we doing. Mumbled response. I said what? "down 200" Okay this was taking a turn for the worse in a hurry. If you have been to the Strat (LOL) you guys know pretty close to the tables is a restroom. It is located next to one of those Deal or no Deal "Deal only" machines. They should call it "No one ever gets a deal, and when you do no matter what you pick 75 cents slot". But they would probably get less business if they named it that, but I digress. So if you know the restroom, you know its a 43 second walk, a 43 second tinkle and power wash, and a 43 second walk back to the table. I come back just in time to see the friendly Strat (LOL) dealer swiping D's chips. I see the reach for the wallet. How we doing buddy? "Down 300" Wonderful. I said okay I am sitting down buddy let's change this up. It was a single deck 10 dollar table. I don't know if it was 6:5, 3:2 or FU:FU but I just wanted to help my buddy out.

One of the first times I ever went to Vegas I stayed at the Strat (LOL) and I won won won. Ever since than they have taken that money back about 10 times over again. I am very careful about the amount of pesos I posse up at the table there because of this. I sit down and we were happily just playing 10 dollar to 15 dollar hands. Win a little lose a little whatever. I think I had a couple of Corona's? (Drinks are getting a little hazy at this point. The BLL's have quite a kick!) D swapped to something green. Maybe he was trying to get some of that green back into his life, I don't know. So W comes over, and says room is ready. I looked at chips. I had 130 (Bought in 100) I said well I never win here, so why start now. I bet the 30 and said win or lose, that's it for me. D says the same thing. He had about 190 in front of him. I said ehhh, bet 10 and if you win now you are only down 200. I saw that twinkle in his eye again, the one that says "Now buddy, you know I can't do that". Slides out the 190. We get the "checks play" call. I think they do that so everyone around you can take a gander at the idiot in 3rd base and see how much he is about to lose. I get dealt picture picture. My buddy sighs, and flashes 17. Dealer shows a 10. (I think it was red?) She checks for blackjack, and what do you know...I have literally never seen a bigger Ace of Spades in my life. Okay I said let's color up (and by saying it plural I meant just me) and go up to the room, drop the stuff off and head to downtown (The destination for all teachers on a Friday night in Vegas). I get my black chip and say to myself "Man 5 years ago I would have for sure bet that 100 cuz losing that 30 would destroy my soul" . Man have I matured (That lasted about 24 hours, don't worry that guy is coming back.. fast) I look over at D. He took one step away from the table, and said NAH. Pulls out 4 C Notes. Says "I'm due" (Solid logic) I said come on buddy, we have been in vegas 11 minutes dude let's not make any ATM trips this early. Return of the twinkle and the "I got this" look, and I left him alone. W said you idiot 100 times in the 18 seconds it took to trade in the 400 for 4 black chips. I was chatting up the dealer during this time and I said, Betsy (I think her name was Betty, but BLL remember) I said Betsy, does this seem like a good idea. I picked up one of his bags..look we aren't even in their room yet. She gave me the "Sir, it's his money he can do what he wants" routine. I said see she doesn't think it's a good idea either. She looked at me and said "I didn't say that, I just thought it" Hey an actual funny moment from the Strat (LOL).

Anyone following along is going to know how this ends up. He shows us his first card before he looks at it. and gets 3 frowns. One from me, one from W, and one from a man walking by saying "this is a bad idea" before vanishing. Anyways, you know it's the 6 of clubs. Next card 10 thankfully. I said thankfully because if it was a 4 or 5 he would double and that would well, not be good. Anyways so he has his 16 and S H O C K I N G L Y, the dealer has an Ace showing. This time it was the Ace of Spades cousin, the Ace of clubs. Not as big, but just as menacing. No insurance Betsy..Betty... or maybe it was Hannah? I don't know. Anyways, she doesn't have it. He hits and gets a 3!!! 19!!!! Well, he should have hit again, because underneath that not so friendly A of Clubs was the 9 of clubs and at the Strat (LOL) they do actually count the Ace as high and 11 + 9 = 20 which is indeed one more than 19. (Teachers remember, I can do that math fast) Bang down 800, and it wasn't even 8:00 pm yet.

I am going to zip through the rest of Friday night because quite honestly I don't remember much of it.

We went and played at Binion's I had 55 bucks in cash back and 30 in free play that I turned into God know's what. Nothing great either way. I had over 100 dollars in comps there. Still have most of them D lost 100 very painfully at another blackjack table. We ended up at El Cortez. Me and D played on the same table for quite a while. I won 100. I counted my chips once and it was exactly 200, so I said well when I double up playing slow like this, it's time to leave. D called me a name that rhymes with wussy. W had run off 3 times while watching us and SOMEHOW won money on machines. 250 bucks he said. Now I am not calling him a liar, but again, he's never come back and said he's lost so, either he's the world's greatest slot player (On min bet btw) or something doesn't exactly add up. But whatever, he has fun. D ended up losing 200 more there. He lost over 1000 the first night and had about 18 bucks in his wallet once we got back to the Strat (LOL). I lyfted back to the Rio, and said well I don't want to play for 8 minutes before I fall alseep, so I will just make it up tomorrow (And boy did I).

So Total's after one day
Yours Truly + 521 (I NEVER have a good first day. EVER)
D - 1100 (He NEVER has a good first day. EVER)
W ask him and he will tell you whatever number you want to hear...

Coming on Saturday
I go rogue to the Gold coast, Palms, Cromwell and the Mirage.
We end up on Boulder HWY and do the Joker's Wild, Cannery, Sam's trail of tears trip. I make the first of MANY piss poor decisions. Saturday was full of them.. Until tomorrow..