Vegas, Poker, my family, and random other stuff.

[SirPercival]

How I made it to Vegas 5 times without the missus and how do I make it 6? - Part 1

Well it goes without saying that Las Vegas is my favourite city on the planet. I'm sure a lot of you can relate to the intense experience that Vegas is and the escape from normal life that it provides. Disneyland for adults is the best description I have heard.

My first 2 visits "without the Mrs" don't really count as we didn't know each other back then. The reason she reminds me that I have been 5 times and she has never been is also to do with the fact that she lived in California as a kid. In 1977 her parents dumped her with mates where they stayed in Vista and went to Vegas for the weekend. She didn't understand at the age she was why she was missing out and here we are 32 years later and she has a husband who thinks that's incredibly funny!

So my first visit in 1994 was with an ex-girlfriend whilst touring the west coast. We stayed in Vegas for 3 nights at the Hacienda Hotel (where Mandalay Bay is now). I remember it only costing $12/night as it was midweek and I had blagged a discount due to some advert I had heard on Vegas radio on the way in.

Poker was not anywhere near as popular back then even in Vegas and I didn't play as I couldn't afford the stakes in the few games I did find. Instead I played $1 craps for about 12 hours and drank a (free) bottle of beer each time I threw the dice, or at least it seemed that way. We saw the usual sites and ate enough for an army.

We enjoyed our 2 days/3nights so much that after a quick trip to the Grand Canyon we decided to stop off in Vegas for one more night on the return to the coast.  Unfortunately for us we didn't realise that prices increased somewhat on Saturday nights. We returned to the Hacienda only to find the same room would cost $200 for the 1 night!

3 reasons determined why we stayed in the fleapit motel across the road (not longer there):

1. I'm Scottish

2. I was only 24 and didn't earn much money

3. I didn't care where I slept as I was going to play craps and drink the casino dry!

[APAT]

Great first post Stuart - do the drunken Scotsmen come into the second part?

[duke3016]

3 reasons determined why we stayed in the fleapit motel across the road (not longer there):

1. I'm Scottish

2. I was only 24 and didn't earn much money

3. I didn't care where I slept as I was going to play craps and drink the casino dry!

Great stuff and three very good reasons IMO

[Santino67]

Stories from Brighton are so banned.What happens on tour ,stays on tour.

Unfortunately Micky the tour is now about 90% online. That means we get to hear at least 90% of the story  

[SirPercival]

[duke3016]

Great read Stuart, keep em coming

[SirPercival]

[SirPercival]

Note title change due to lack of interaction.  

[duke3016]

I agree to a certain extent about the "old town" but it"s not a place I would stay for the duration of the whole visit, nice to see though..


Loving this blog -- its a real story each post --

Now stop whingeing  - I have interacted  

[SirPercival]

Thanks Duke, at least someones enjoying it.  oops is that whining again?

My recommendation now would be to pay the money and stay in a decent hotel but visit El Cortez and the like for the experience.

[lukybugur]

... but visit El Cortez and the like for the experience.

This place was built in 1941 and I not sure if they have decorated since ... it was a bit drab, smelly, smokey and probably completely unsafe

Erm, as I like my holiday hotels to be un-drab, nice smelling, non-smokey and most of all safe, I think I"ll pass on that one.

Interaction overload, I"m off for a lie down.

[biffa85]

I just want to know if the stories of you running amok at Dr Brighton"s was true....

Now not trying to hijak this thread, but do tell more, especially as I used to live in that pub and it was my parent"s that renamed it to dr brighton"s!!! Oh what a small world!

[eVolution]

lol cool story - weird to see those beggars on streets in vegas, just think they prolly flushed all they had in the casinos....note that next timne u watch big stakes online - i used to wonder how good these people were sittin at 100/200 NL games or watever (25/50 etc) and i had a great deal of respect for them - my gf assured me that they are probably only playing to get out of debt or soemthing - well lots of research later i find that for the most part shes right, guys were down like 200k and sittin at a table with 40k while i think they are poker gods lol.  how misleading appearance can be.  id HATE to be so lost in the gamble that i play with borrowed money - poker is a hobby for me, when i can afford to play high stakes, ill do it, but never with what i cant afford to lose  poor homeless vegasites

[nosey-p]

So how do you make it 6?

I am trying for my first without the wife. But i do live in a dream land

[Mikeyboy9361]

There is not a prayer I could get to Vegas without the Mrs, she absolutely loves the place and can"t wait to go back!