Main Street Station Slot Tournament

First round of the slot tournament went pretty well. I nailed the top win (three Kahunas) once and scored about 14,000 points. If only real slots played that way.

Dragged my luggage back to my room at the Cal and settled in. I had to update some Size 8 Grommet production forecasts for the boss back at North American Veeblefetzer HQ. What a great way to spend time in Vegas - pushing digits around in Excel. I do like that I get to do this sort of work on a quarterly basis - it beats risking having your hands crushed to a pulp on a daily basis on the line.

Every day you come home another day older and deeper in debt and smelling like raw grommet paste.

Dropped downstairs for some steak (whinney) and eggs (cackle). It was what it was. And maybe the steak wasn't what it should be.

Hit a great little run on dollar Treasure Chest - half an hour pounding away. But never got a quad. Great to rack up points though. Even had 4 to a Royal once... that's always a heart starter.

I mosied here and there, playing here and there killing time until my 4:00 second tournament session. Wandered around, having some drinks, losing a 20 here, another there.

After much time had passed, I remembered. The tournament.

Looked at my watch...

Eight minutes after.

AFTER FIVE!

SHIT!

I hauled ass to the tournament area. Everyone was sitting at their machines, pounding away - except me. I went and pleaded my case at the desk. They said, "Just find a machine and go! GO!"

I did, and started to pound the buttons. What an ass-cluster-move.

Definitely NOT the way a savvy gamblester plays a tournament. I ended up with a lousy score of only 9,000 points. Not even close to my first session.

After, I hit up Triple Double Bonus and had an interesting hand...

Dealt 3 2 3 3 A. Four 3s with kicker pays 2000 coins while four 3s without pays 400.

I love this play. The right move, over time, that a savvy gamblester would make, is to hold the three 3s and the kicker. Because over time, you'll win more this way than you would taking the safer but lower paying hand.

Do you have the balls to keep the kicker and have a one in 48 shot at $500 instead of a one in 23 shot at $100?

Lesson learned.

After that things started to get ugly. I kept drinking and that helped somewhat.

I bought in for a hundy at the craps table. Worst session EVER.

I won a pass line bet ($5) and a placed 6 ($7) and that was it. My hundred was gone in about 6 minutes. As I was walking away they said, "Hey sir, this is yours." They pointed to a red in front of my spot. I have no idea what it was for but plunked it on the pass line. Gone. Couldn't catch a break in that session.

On to Deuces.

Where I proceeded, once again, to get natural quad 4s for $5. (And a two dollar scratch card.)

The Absolut kept coming, and I headed over to another machine and committed a hundy to Double Double Bonus in quarters. I played, and down it went. I meant to cash out sorta, but also sorta knew I would play it into the ground.

I actually bounced off the bottom with a couple of Lazaruses.

Got back up from 0 credits both times. Caught a full house and then built up maybe 70 or 80 credits. I'd been playing a while and I could just feel it coming.

So I switched to 50 cent play.

And nailed quad fives for $125. (Sorry, no pic. Drunk.)

I played something else and took a break. It was not good I was down about $250 on the day and had $100 to last me all evening.

Yeah right.

But I had a plan!

I'd go over to the Fremont and play the full-pay Pick'em with my last 20s.

Something shiny sidetracked me. And that's how I came to find myself putting the second of my five last 20s into a Double Double Bonus machine - not into Pick'em at the Fremont. I played it down to 10 credits left.

Note that I got the kicker, too, for a cool $200. Now we're gambling!

Over to the Fremont, skipped the American Pie lightshow.

Dumped $40 into Pick'em - nothing.

Took a flyer on Bonus Deluxe.

Ate a somewhat good Philly Cheesesteak to absorb some of the vodka at Binions. Swiped my card - free drink. Woot.

Back to MSS and the 20s were going in one after another, not getting much back.

I was getting really tired and committed one more chaser 20 on Super Double Double Mega Ultra Wanker Bonus Plus.

Played it down, had that sad feeling with 5 credits to go. Knew that would be my last hand of the day.

Held a couple of twos.

Hit the draw button and...

Note that there are exactly 400 credits there.

I got my scratch card and cashed out.

Result for the day - loss of twenty five bucks.

So I'm still up on the trip $800 plus beans. Go me!!!!!