| Jott From Special K on Saturday, 3/31/2007 6:24 PM |
| I am at Falstaff's playing poker. First, he folds the hammer and then he calls under the gun. I am so confused. |
| Listen to audio Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
Saturday, March 31, 2007
[Jott] A Falstaff Poker Night
Friday, March 30, 2007
[Jott] It has been a nice night to end of a busy week it can be a busy weekend, I have ...
| Jott From Special K on Friday, 3/30/2007 8:16 PM |
| It has been a nice night and the end of a busy week. It's going to be a busy weekend. I have got a lot of work to do, but I will stop Falstaff's for some poker. I hope that goes well. I hate busy weeks. |
| Listen to audio Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
JottBlogging
I want to be the first to coin the terms JottBlog and JottBlogging as a way of posting to a blog without typing. Awe, man. I could have done this without typing. [stomp]
[Jott] I'm trying out Jott again. Seems to be working OK, a couple of configuration cha...
| Jott From Special K on Wednesday, 3/28/2007 7:44 PM |
| I'm trying out Jott again. Seems to be working OK, a couple of configuration changes should help out. Had dinner with Mr. C tonight, he's doing well. Had a good report on his cancer. Hopefully he'll be good for a while now. |
| Listen to audio Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
---------------
[Typing now] That is too freeeeekin' cool. The above went straight from my phone to my blog. Now I need to figure out how to get more than 30 seconds of time. I'll bet there's an upgrade for that. And yes, Carmen. I am now offically too lazy to type. :)
Special K's on the telephone
| Jott From Special K on Wednesday, 3/28/2007 12:21 PM |
| Hello readers, this is [name: special K] and I am actually talking on the telephone right now attempting to make this post directly to my blog. This is a new service called Jott that I just [inaudible] for apparently free and will allow me to report on events or make quick notes or similar types of things when I post to blog. |
| Listen to audio Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc. |
-----------
So that is where it cut me off at 30 seconds. Not a bad transcription. The inaudible part was inaudible due to the cell phone connection. And the post doesn't go straight to the blog. It got routed to the blog as a draft. As I learn about this, Jott may be very useful. This, by the way, is an unsponsored post.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Fun Vegas
No celebrity sightings today.
Vegas is fun. Today was mostly work with some poker at Cesear's this evening. Tomorrow is mostly a free fun day with O (the show at the Bellagio) in the evening.
I sure would like to meet up with a blogger or two. CarmenSinCity won't send me any way to contact her even though I've left my email in comments in her blog. Maybe if I won some I'd be more popular. :)
Vegas is fun. Today was mostly work with some poker at Cesear's this evening. Tomorrow is mostly a free fun day with O (the show at the Bellagio) in the evening.
I sure would like to meet up with a blogger or two. CarmenSinCity won't send me any way to contact her even though I've left my email in comments in her blog. Maybe if I won some I'd be more popular. :)
Monday, March 19, 2007
Vegas and the Donkey
Celebrities Spotted:
Antonio Esfandari- DaveB sucked out on his grandmother to take a big pot. Lost it all back later.
Jose Canseco
Eskimo Clark - the dealer warned us not to say his name out loud. Apparently, he can be difficult and the word prick was mentioned.
Worst hand I ever played: First ever session at the Bellagio. I’m up pretty good in the first hour of play here in Vegas. We are playing 4-8 limit. I get dealt A8h in the big blind. The flop comes 9h10hKh giving me the nut flush. I check the flop and call the one bet from the fellow on my left. I bet the turn and call the raise from my left. The action gets heads up going into the river. I bet, he raises, I raise, he raises and on until I am all in. He turns over the JhQh for the flopped straight flush. I had every opportunity to stop and never saw the possible SF. What a donkey.
I went over to Creaser’s where BG and the Nazi are playing and make back 60 of my loses. I guess it is best to get the donk move over with early.
Antonio Esfandari- DaveB sucked out on his grandmother to take a big pot. Lost it all back later.
Jose Canseco
Eskimo Clark - the dealer warned us not to say his name out loud. Apparently, he can be difficult and the word prick was mentioned.
Worst hand I ever played: First ever session at the Bellagio. I’m up pretty good in the first hour of play here in Vegas. We are playing 4-8 limit. I get dealt A8h in the big blind. The flop comes 9h10hKh giving me the nut flush. I check the flop and call the one bet from the fellow on my left. I bet the turn and call the raise from my left. The action gets heads up going into the river. I bet, he raises, I raise, he raises and on until I am all in. He turns over the JhQh for the flopped straight flush. I had every opportunity to stop and never saw the possible SF. What a donkey.
I went over to Creaser’s where BG and the Nazi are playing and make back 60 of my loses. I guess it is best to get the donk move over with early.
The day is here
It has been about three months since the location of the trip was announced and 2 months since I learned we were staying at the Bellagio. If this isn't adult christmas, I don't know what is.
For those who have not been following along, today I leave for Vegas. Three of my closest poker buddies are on the same trio. Vegas is always better with friends.
The schedule for the trip is very loosely structured. It looks like tomorrow (Tuesday) will be packed with meetings and team building activities. Otherwise, it looks like open season on the poker tables.
Right now, I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport listening to the announcement that the flight has been delayed. I'm having flashbacks to my dad yelling at me to get back in bed on a Christmas morning. OK. Another hour won't hurt. Bullshit.
Mrs. K has been great about this whole thing. She worries about me. I think she spends a lot of effort biting her tongue to keep from criticizing me or venting frustration. But she has an incredible love for me that puts me first in her thoughts. Even when she complains, I can tell that she does it from concern and not from selfishness. I think she would prefer that this trip were not happening right now. She already has a lot on her, but she hasn’t said anything more than “have a good time.”
I’ve been to the Bellagio many times. This will be the first time as a guest. I can’t wait to see the rest of the grounds. The high temps in Vegas are running around 90 degrees which is damn near perfect. So all systems are GO. Next stop, Vegas (if we ever leave).
For those who have not been following along, today I leave for Vegas. Three of my closest poker buddies are on the same trio. Vegas is always better with friends.
The schedule for the trip is very loosely structured. It looks like tomorrow (Tuesday) will be packed with meetings and team building activities. Otherwise, it looks like open season on the poker tables.
Right now, I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport listening to the announcement that the flight has been delayed. I'm having flashbacks to my dad yelling at me to get back in bed on a Christmas morning. OK. Another hour won't hurt. Bullshit.
Mrs. K has been great about this whole thing. She worries about me. I think she spends a lot of effort biting her tongue to keep from criticizing me or venting frustration. But she has an incredible love for me that puts me first in her thoughts. Even when she complains, I can tell that she does it from concern and not from selfishness. I think she would prefer that this trip were not happening right now. She already has a lot on her, but she hasn’t said anything more than “have a good time.”
I’ve been to the Bellagio many times. This will be the first time as a guest. I can’t wait to see the rest of the grounds. The high temps in Vegas are running around 90 degrees which is damn near perfect. So all systems are GO. Next stop, Vegas (if we ever leave).
Thursday, March 15, 2007
What the ...
It is just past sundown in Vegas, clear and 82 degrees. What the hell am I doing here in Charlotte? I arrive in Vegas on Monday. (Sorry for the confusion TJ).
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Short Rundown
So here is a short rundown on my last two weeks:
I've been a lazy bastard about updating this here blog.
I've not been a lazy bastard about my job. It has been busy, but I've done some good work. Funny thing, more work comes rolling in to do.
I've done very well at poker. My last three outings have all been winners. Took second in an underground tournament. I say that because it was really underground, as in basement. I had a good night at the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma in a $4-8 cash game and followed that with my biggest night so far at Falstaff's home game. 12 days to Vegas and I've got a bankroll to lose.
I made a list of all the house and home projects that I need to finish. I got 23. Ouch. I have the first 4 ready to complete this weekend.
My doctor told me today that my chloresterol is too high. Looks like it's back to running and watching what I eat. That is overdue anyway.
Tomorrow is another busy day. Time for bed.
I've been a lazy bastard about updating this here blog.
I've not been a lazy bastard about my job. It has been busy, but I've done some good work. Funny thing, more work comes rolling in to do.
I've done very well at poker. My last three outings have all been winners. Took second in an underground tournament. I say that because it was really underground, as in basement. I had a good night at the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma in a $4-8 cash game and followed that with my biggest night so far at Falstaff's home game. 12 days to Vegas and I've got a bankroll to lose.
I made a list of all the house and home projects that I need to finish. I got 23. Ouch. I have the first 4 ready to complete this weekend.
My doctor told me today that my chloresterol is too high. Looks like it's back to running and watching what I eat. That is overdue anyway.
Tomorrow is another busy day. Time for bed.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Coming to You from my Regular Friday Buzz
Another week has gone by. It was a good week. Kinda plain in a way. Nothing really special happened. I worked all five days like a good boy. My work friends that I like to hang with were out of town, so I ate lunch with a client one day and by myself the rest.
To be honest, I’ve really felt like shit this week. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something isn’t right. Getting out of bed in the morning is painful, but not in any particular location. I feel pretty alert after a cup of coffee, but when that wears off, I’m back to shit again. Maybe I’m just suffering from having such an exciting 2006 and this is the let-down. Maybe my thyroid function has dropped another notch. I’m already on supplements, but it needs to be checked again. Maybe my lazy streak has grown and this is normal for me now. I wish I knew.
I shot pool on Tuesday and won. The lights were out in the building due to the heavy rain or something. Maybe somebody hit a pole. Charlotte drivers suck at driving. Rain just amplifies their lack of skill. Anyway, the only lights were these little one-bulbers on the wall. That didn’t bother me. I shot pretty well.
I got real nice kudos at work for my work that led to a big support contract. My boss can expect to see that on my review this year. Do you read this stuff, MB? I hope you have more of a life than that.
I’m thinking that my current writing will look a bit different than my normal posts. I’ve been out to dinner with the wife. We regularly pound 20 wings and a pitcher of beer for our night out. I add an extra after-dinner drink once we get home that adds a real nice buzz to my evening. That’s where I am right now, playing poker and enjoying my buzz.
This coming week will expose a group of bright not-so-young minds to a technical workshop run by Special K himself. They don’t have a clue what they are in for. I’m probably the only guy who runs a workshop like a stage show. They get skits and comedy and even bumper music (I love sending them to a break with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy). They also get enough info to make their brain hurt.
31 days to vegas.
To be honest, I’ve really felt like shit this week. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something isn’t right. Getting out of bed in the morning is painful, but not in any particular location. I feel pretty alert after a cup of coffee, but when that wears off, I’m back to shit again. Maybe I’m just suffering from having such an exciting 2006 and this is the let-down. Maybe my thyroid function has dropped another notch. I’m already on supplements, but it needs to be checked again. Maybe my lazy streak has grown and this is normal for me now. I wish I knew.
I shot pool on Tuesday and won. The lights were out in the building due to the heavy rain or something. Maybe somebody hit a pole. Charlotte drivers suck at driving. Rain just amplifies their lack of skill. Anyway, the only lights were these little one-bulbers on the wall. That didn’t bother me. I shot pretty well.
I got real nice kudos at work for my work that led to a big support contract. My boss can expect to see that on my review this year. Do you read this stuff, MB? I hope you have more of a life than that.
I’m thinking that my current writing will look a bit different than my normal posts. I’ve been out to dinner with the wife. We regularly pound 20 wings and a pitcher of beer for our night out. I add an extra after-dinner drink once we get home that adds a real nice buzz to my evening. That’s where I am right now, playing poker and enjoying my buzz.
This coming week will expose a group of bright not-so-young minds to a technical workshop run by Special K himself. They don’t have a clue what they are in for. I’m probably the only guy who runs a workshop like a stage show. They get skits and comedy and even bumper music (I love sending them to a break with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy). They also get enough info to make their brain hurt.
31 days to vegas.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
A view inside the mind of Special K
The title guarantees that this post is going to be a jumbled mess.
I’m sitting in the airport in Wichita, Kansas; Wichita Mid-Continent Airport to be exact. This has been a real up-and-down trip. Wichita has been fine. The folk I’ve met here have been friendly, helpful and sometime overly respectful. I’ve been dealing with military folks and they can be that way sometime.
These people (Wichita in general) are painfully unassuming. They have few trappings of urban life and they like it that way. They must be some of the slowest drivers in the industrialized world. I try to be the second fastest driver in my area, but achieving this in Wichita has been a bigger test of my patience than my first marriage (sorry L).
I really like the way western cities and towns are laid out. It is so easy for strangers to get around. Traffic get dispersed among the many parallel street so that it doesn’t build up at choke points. It makes for easy living.
I love the airport. The baggage claim area has big red signs reminding you to pick up your firearms at the luggage office. They are the only airport that has desks with power and wired internet connections for regular passengers (see fuzzy cell phone picture). These folks are so thoughtful.
Today, I’m headed back to Charlotte. Traveling is so much easier now that I’m not doing it all the time.
----
So what else has Special K been up to?
I took a trip down to Dallas two weeks ago on business. Dallas is a big version of Charlotte. Unlike LA, NY, Vegas, and Seattle, there is not a lot there that I would go out of my way to see. I’ve done Dealey Plaza and its Kennedy assassination sights. Other than that, Dallas just seems to have the same stuff as the rest of the US. I can get that at home.
-----
I’ve played some poker, of course. The game last weekend at Falstaff’s was fun, but my cards sucked. I pretty much spent the night talking and folding. On-line has been up and down and a waste of time that I can afford less and less.
(I actually wrote the following 8 hours before I heard that the Gov't may have siesed the money)
My Neteller withdrawal has yet to hit my bank account. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to not getting that money. I always knew that dealing with an on-line off-shore bank was risky and that loosing my money was a possibility. Heck, I lost off of it except for one quarter (yea, $.25) playing poker, but I built it back up to my original stake of about $300. Now I’m going to lose it on my first bet, Neteller. It was still pretty cheap entertainment, all things considered.
I’m trying to get back to working out. To me, that means mostly running. But as I heard a comedian say recently, I want to start working out, but it’s hard when you don’t want to. It is some much easier to fit in some poker than go to the gym. PGR on the Xbox360 ain’t a bad time waster either.
-----
39 days to Vegas.
-----
It was cold in Chicago on Monday. I won’t even ask what TripJax froze off in Ohio this week. I got to O’Hare about 10:30 Monday morning to find the temperature at minus 12 degrees. That was up from an overnight low of -25. Damn.
I got a good chuckle thinking about some of my fellow travelers who were coming back from the Super Bowl. These would be the Chicago fans who dropped a good chunk of change to get rained on while watching their team get their ass kicked only to get back home to below 0 temps. Chicago fans deserve it (sorry Radio).
----
Time to download some podcasts and get on the plane. Later.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
CardRoomSupply Tables
Sponsored Post:
Wow. I came across a great site today full of some of the best poker tables available. The site is Cardroom Supply. You can get to the site by pointing your browser to http://www.cardroomsupply.com/tehota.html. Right away, you will likely be blown away by the incredible “No Limit” Casino Quality Poker Table. This jewel only costs $5500, so look, but don’t touch unless you must have the absolute best. Cardroom Supply has tables for all budgets. The $275 84” table with folding legs is more my speed. They will even customize your table top with a words or your logo if you like.
Now it may be that your significant other doesn't want some cheap looking gaming table set up in the house. If so, you need to show her (or him) the quality furniture goods at CardRoomSupply.com. They have game tables that covert into regular tables. Some tables convert into bumper pool tables or chess/checker board top tables. They have finishes to match any décor including Light and Dark Oak, Imperial Mahogany, Cherry, and black lacquer. You can get your tables with matching chairs for that real grown-up furniture look. That's because this is real quality furniture.
So whatever your budget and whatever your style, CardRoomSupply has the table for you.
Wow. I came across a great site today full of some of the best poker tables available. The site is Cardroom Supply. You can get to the site by pointing your browser to http://www.cardroomsupply.com/tehota.html. Right away, you will likely be blown away by the incredible “No Limit” Casino Quality Poker Table. This jewel only costs $5500, so look, but don’t touch unless you must have the absolute best. Cardroom Supply has tables for all budgets. The $275 84” table with folding legs is more my speed. They will even customize your table top with a words or your logo if you like.
Now it may be that your significant other doesn't want some cheap looking gaming table set up in the house. If so, you need to show her (or him) the quality furniture goods at CardRoomSupply.com. They have game tables that covert into regular tables. Some tables convert into bumper pool tables or chess/checker board top tables. They have finishes to match any décor including Light and Dark Oak, Imperial Mahogany, Cherry, and black lacquer. You can get your tables with matching chairs for that real grown-up furniture look. That's because this is real quality furniture.
So whatever your budget and whatever your style, CardRoomSupply has the table for you.
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Game of My Life
Well, that might be overstating it a bit, but it was the game that had the most riding on the outcome.
My pool team played in the city championship tournament this weekend. In the second round, the team was up against elimination. The match was tied 2-2. The winner of the next set of games would move on to the simi-finals and the loser would go home. Because of handicaping rules of the league, I was the only player left. To make the story short and sweet, I played some of the best pool of my life and got the win.
The team went on to win the trounament and the free vacation. Now we have to decide where we want to go, but an all-inclusive week in Aruba is a possibility.
I did have one surreal moment on my way home after my big game. I was proud of myself for hitting the last two shots of the match by telling myself that I can handle the pressure and that "this is your moment." Then I couldn't remember one very important point. Did I call my last 8-ball shot? Yikes!
Pictures to follow.
My pool team played in the city championship tournament this weekend. In the second round, the team was up against elimination. The match was tied 2-2. The winner of the next set of games would move on to the simi-finals and the loser would go home. Because of handicaping rules of the league, I was the only player left. To make the story short and sweet, I played some of the best pool of my life and got the win.
The team went on to win the trounament and the free vacation. Now we have to decide where we want to go, but an all-inclusive week in Aruba is a possibility.
I did have one surreal moment on my way home after my big game. I was proud of myself for hitting the last two shots of the match by telling myself that I can handle the pressure and that "this is your moment." Then I couldn't remember one very important point. Did I call my last 8-ball shot? Yikes!
Pictures to follow.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
NETeller folds like a cheap suit
I got my letter from Full Tilt Poker today about NETeller.
"Dear Special K,
"As you may be aware, NETeller has announced that it will no longer accept transfer requests from U.S. customers to online poker sites or allow withdrawals from online poker sites to your NETeller account, effective immediately. This applies to players like you as well as real poker players.
"As a fish who used NETeller or Instacash, we want you to know that any money you currently have on deposit with Full Tilt Poker remains completely at risk everytime you log on. If you are interested in withdrawing your money from Full Tilt Poker before you loose it, please click here to find out how.
"Rest assured, we remain committed to providing real poker player with access to all of your bankroll, and these developments will not change your day-to-day playing experience at our site. Furthermore, any monies that you deposit with us - through any of our approved payment processors - will remain completely available to your competition and accessible at any time you decide to play.
Sincerely,
Full Tilt Poker"
Well, it went something like that. Since I don't have any other use for NETeller, I put in my request to empty the account. I'll keep the loose change that I have on deposit at FTP and play with that. If I loose it, I'm probably done with on-line poker. Life goes on.
"Dear Special K,
"As you may be aware, NETeller has announced that it will no longer accept transfer requests from U.S. customers to online poker sites or allow withdrawals from online poker sites to your NETeller account, effective immediately. This applies to players like you as well as real poker players.
"As a fish who used NETeller or Instacash, we want you to know that any money you currently have on deposit with Full Tilt Poker remains completely at risk everytime you log on. If you are interested in withdrawing your money from Full Tilt Poker before you loose it, please click here to find out how.
"Rest assured, we remain committed to providing real poker player with access to all of your bankroll, and these developments will not change your day-to-day playing experience at our site. Furthermore, any monies that you deposit with us - through any of our approved payment processors - will remain completely available to your competition and accessible at any time you decide to play.
Sincerely,
Full Tilt Poker"
Well, it went something like that. Since I don't have any other use for NETeller, I put in my request to empty the account. I'll keep the loose change that I have on deposit at FTP and play with that. If I loose it, I'm probably done with on-line poker. Life goes on.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Flamingos at the Flamingo
When I was writing up some of the other attractions along the central strip, I failed to mention the wildlife habitat at the Flamingo. The Flamingo hotel is across the street from Caesar’s Palace and Bally’s at the busiest corner in Las Vegas, Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Blvd. The old bird is starting to show her age and they lack a good poker room, so I don’t stop in very often. That being the case, I haven’t scouted around the property much at all, so I missed it.Watching one of those all-about-vegas shows on the travel channel tonight (or is it the Vegas channel); I saw them give a top 10 list of free things in Vegas. One that I had missed was the birds at the Flamingo. They have flamingos (or course), African penguins, swans, ducks, Koi, and turtles on islands and streams surrounded by sparkling waterfalls and lush foliage (their description, not mine).
It sounds like fun and can fit easily into your schedule between the Forum Shops and the Bellagio. I'm going to make a special trip next time for sure.
Top 20 Hotels in the US
Writing about the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino yesterday got me thinking about whether or not the MGM was indeed the largest in the world. I had also heard that many of the largest hotels in the world are in Vegas. So I decided to check it out. Here is what I found for the top 20 hotels in the US (I couldn't find a world list):
20. Imperial Palace
Las Vegas
Right in the heart of the strip, the Imperial Palace has 2,635 guest rooms and suites.
20. Imperial Palace
Las Vegas
Right in the heart of the strip, the Imperial Palace has 2,635 guest rooms and suites.
19. Wynn Las Vegas
Las Vegas
On the old site of the Desert Inn, Howard Huges' last residence. The golf course behind the resort has been redesigned. Only hotel guests can play; No visitors. Green fees: $500 per round. 2,716 rooms. An additional tower has been designated as a separate, all-suite hotel called Encore, and will add another 2,300 rooms when construction is complete.
18. Bally's Casino Resort
Las Vegas
2,814 guest rooms and 300,000 square feet of meeting space.
17. Disney's Pop Century Resort
Walt Disney World, Florida
16. Gaylord Opryland Resort
Nashville
2,881 guest rooms and suites.
15. Treasure Island (Now just TI)
Las Vegas
2,885 guest rooms and a pirate theme
14. Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas
A taste of France on the Las Vegas Strip. 2,916 guest rooms. All hotel employees learn several new words of French each day.
13. Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas
A AAA four-diamond resort with 2,956 guest rooms, Barry Manilow, and a Star Trek themed casino. How can you miss?
12. Monte Carlo Hotel Casino
Las Vegas
A more affordable version of the Bellagio with 3,002 guest rooms.
11. Mirage Hotel Casino
Las Vegas
You may feel as if the Siegfried and Roy show lives on, surrounded as you are by white tigers, tropical rain forests and even dolphins. 3,044 guest rooms and suites.
10. Caesar's Palace Hotel Casino
Las Vegas
Caesar's made the list recently with the opening of the new spa tower. 3,349 guest rooms and suites.
9. Hilton Hawaiian Village
Honolulu
8.Flamingo Las Vegas
Las Vegas
A great location, low rates, and 3,565 guest rooms and suites.
7. Circus Circus
Las Vegas
Loud but cheap, and with 3,774 rooms.
6. Bellagio
Las Vegas
For romance, spring for a fountain-view room, tune in the piped-in music on television, and watch the show from your window. Let everyone else jockey for a spot in the street. The most recent tower, opened in December 2004, brings the total to 3,993 guest rooms and suites.
5. Excalibur ("The Castle")
Las Vegas
A family-oriented fanasy hotel at the base of the Strip, with 4,008 affordable guest rooms and suites.
4. The Venetian
Las Vegas
The Venetian has 4,049 suites and a 120,000 square foot casino. Each suite in the Venetian has a fax machine/printer, and guests receive a personal greeting fax with their own personal fax number on arrival. When The Palazzo opens with 3,025 rooms, The Venetian resort, with 7,074 hotel rooms and suites, will become the largest hotel complex in the world.
3. Mandalay Bay (including THEhotel)
Las Vegas
With the addition of 1,118 rooms in the new THEhotel, Mandalay Bay jumps up to #3 on the list with 4,341 total rooms.
2. Luxor Hotel Casino
Las Vegas
The unmistakable pyramid and the adjoining tower house 4,408 guest rooms and suites, making this the second-biggest hotel in the United States.
1. MGM Grand Hotel Casino
Las Vegas
It is the world's largest hotel building, with 5,044 guest rooms, 576 suites in each of the three The Signature at MGM Grand towers, 51 Suites in the SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand and 29 villas in the The Mansion at MGM Grand. The 30-floor building features five outdoor pools, rivers, and waterfalls that cover 6.6 acres, a 380,000 square foot convention center, the MGM Grand Arena, CBS Television City, and the Grand Spa. It also houses numerous shops and night clubs, 16 restaurants, two food courts, and the largest casino in Las Vegas.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The South Strip
I like the South Strip. This is the area south of the Bellagio and Paris. The major properties here include the Monte Carlo, New York New York, Excalibur, MGM, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and Tropicana. These are some of the best and most unusual place to play poker in Las Vegas. But for the casual visitor, there isn’t a ton to see. There are a few highlights that I’d like to point out.
The MGM Grand is one of my favorite places to play poker. The hotel is still, to the best of my knowledge, the largest hotel in the world with about 5500 rooms. The poker room is at the front of the casino with lots of noise, traffic, and most importantly, players. For this reason, I usually end up spending a lot of time at the “Gem” when I’m in town. As for sights, there is a lion habitat is a large glass enclosed area right on the casino floor across from the poker room. Admission to the habitat is free. Hours are from 11 am to 10 pm daily.
New York New York is a neat place to just stroll through. They have recreated many of the streetscapes from various areas around NYC. You can watch the roller-coaster zip overhead, but riding is not in the cheap range. I think the price for a 45 second ride is about $12.
The Excalibur, across the walk from NYNY, is fun to look at from the outside, but there really isn’t anything free to see on the inside. They have shops and food. If you are headed to the Luxor, you can get there by cutting through the
“Excal” or Castle, but the way is complicated (go into the casino, up one level and to the right, follow the signs through to food court).
There isn’t a ton to see at the Luxor either. The atrium of the pyramid is the largest open atrium in the world, but the rest of the property is better if you are spending some bucks. Did I mention that the Luxor has Carrot Top appearing nightly? No, I didn’t and for good reason, too.
Mandalay Bay doesn’t do much better on the cheap entertainment scale. They have a Shark Reef attraction, but that runs $16 a person. I love the House of Blues at MB. Tickets for those events start at $20 for some events. Major shows can start at $50 or higher.
Finally, the Tropicana. This used to be one of the marquee locations on the strip. But time has taken its toll. There are some interesting exhibits, but all of them take a few bucks. Bodies: The Exhibition is a look inside 21 real human bodies. Yea, it’s kinda gross, but very educational, I’m sure. The other attraction is Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition featuring many artifacts that sunk with and were recovered from the Titanic.
So the summary for the South Strip is that it’s a nice place to play or spend money, but don’t go past the MGM if you are looking for free attractions. Next, I’ll look at some things to do that you will need a car to see.
The MGM Grand is one of my favorite places to play poker. The hotel is still, to the best of my knowledge, the largest hotel in the world with about 5500 rooms. The poker room is at the front of the casino with lots of noise, traffic, and most importantly, players. For this reason, I usually end up spending a lot of time at the “Gem” when I’m in town. As for sights, there is a lion habitat is a large glass enclosed area right on the casino floor across from the poker room. Admission to the habitat is free. Hours are from 11 am to 10 pm daily.
New York New York is a neat place to just stroll through. They have recreated many of the streetscapes from various areas around NYC. You can watch the roller-coaster zip overhead, but riding is not in the cheap range. I think the price for a 45 second ride is about $12.
The Excalibur, across the walk from NYNY, is fun to look at from the outside, but there really isn’t anything free to see on the inside. They have shops and food. If you are headed to the Luxor, you can get there by cutting through the
“Excal” or Castle, but the way is complicated (go into the casino, up one level and to the right, follow the signs through to food court).There isn’t a ton to see at the Luxor either. The atrium of the pyramid is the largest open atrium in the world, but the rest of the property is better if you are spending some bucks. Did I mention that the Luxor has Carrot Top appearing nightly? No, I didn’t and for good reason, too.
Mandalay Bay doesn’t do much better on the cheap entertainment scale. They have a Shark Reef attraction, but that runs $16 a person. I love the House of Blues at MB. Tickets for those events start at $20 for some events. Major shows can start at $50 or higher.
Finally, the Tropicana. This used to be one of the marquee locations on the strip. But time has taken its toll. There are some interesting exhibits, but all of them take a few bucks. Bodies: The Exhibition is a look inside 21 real human bodies. Yea, it’s kinda gross, but very educational, I’m sure. The other attraction is Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition featuring many artifacts that sunk with and were recovered from the Titanic.
So the summary for the South Strip is that it’s a nice place to play or spend money, but don’t go past the MGM if you are looking for free attractions. Next, I’ll look at some things to do that you will need a car to see.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Vegas Eating Tips
I’ve hesitated to put this post together mainly because I don’t consider myself any kind of expert on the subject. I’ve eaten just about every day of my life. I should know a thing or two about it. I just don’t live to eat like some. I eat to live. If living well means eating well then Vegas can be a very expensive place to live. Some of the finest and most expensive restaurants anywhere are right on the strip. I could personally recommend The Steak House at the TI or the Samba Brazilian Steakhouse in the Mirage or even the Steak House at the Circus Circus (“best steak in town”), but none of those would fit with the free or nearly-free theme of these posts.
Much of this post is for when I'm on my own. If I'm with friends or family, I adopt more normal eating habits. Being with the people that you like is part of the experience and not something to be tossed aside in the name of getting back to the tables. I enjoy sharing my adventures as much as I enjoy the experience. Meal time is sharing time.
Eating on a wee budget in Vegas is complicated by the fact that the days and nights in Vegas are long. I’m typically trying to squeeze every bit into my days in Vegas that the clock will allow. Back-to-back days on five or less hours of sleep are not uncommon. All that activity needs fuel. And since we are trying to fit in as much as possible into each day, we don’t want to spend too much time getting there and back.
So what is a visitor on a budget to eat? I’ve already mentioned a couple of place to eat in Downtown, so I won’t cover that again. My staple on the strip is Subway. There must be a Subway restaurant on every block of the strip. My main ones are in the Casino Royale and O’shea’s. There is also Subway’s next door to the MGM and in the Riviera at the ends of the strip. There are others that are spread around. I just don’t know them all. According to http://www.subway.com/, there are eight locations on Las Vegas Blvd. Most are on the strip.
Much of this post is for when I'm on my own. If I'm with friends or family, I adopt more normal eating habits. Being with the people that you like is part of the experience and not something to be tossed aside in the name of getting back to the tables. I enjoy sharing my adventures as much as I enjoy the experience. Meal time is sharing time.
Eating on a wee budget in Vegas is complicated by the fact that the days and nights in Vegas are long. I’m typically trying to squeeze every bit into my days in Vegas that the clock will allow. Back-to-back days on five or less hours of sleep are not uncommon. All that activity needs fuel. And since we are trying to fit in as much as possible into each day, we don’t want to spend too much time getting there and back.
So what is a visitor on a budget to eat? I’ve already mentioned a couple of place to eat in Downtown, so I won’t cover that again. My staple on the strip is Subway. There must be a Subway restaurant on every block of the strip. My main ones are in the Casino Royale and O’shea’s. There is also Subway’s next door to the MGM and in the Riviera at the ends of the strip. There are others that are spread around. I just don’t know them all. According to http://www.subway.com/, there are eight locations on Las Vegas Blvd. Most are on the strip.
Typically, I’ll buy a foot-long whatever. I sit
down and eat half of it. This will fill me up for the next 4 hours or so. I’ll keep the second half until I’m hungry again. The strip price for the sandwich, chips, and a huge drink is about $10, but that $10 will just about get me through a day. I won’t need any more big meals in a normal day and that sandwich will be a lot better for me than most of the alternatives.Some might ask about buying a huge drink when they “give away” drinks at the tables. That would be nice if it were true, but the fact is that you really need to tip the waitress when she brings you a drink. That means those little tiny 5 oz. cokes really cost about a buck a piece. This is the desert and you need to hydrate, so $2 for a 32 oz soda is a good deal. I still get cokes and other drinks at the tables.
If you are really pinching pennies, you could buy a big bottled water at the CVS and refill it from the water fountains, but I (usually) don’t go that far. Doing so means that you don’t know what the hell you are doing at the poker tables.
I will supplement my diet with health snacks. Chips and candy taste great, but they do nothing
for your nutrition. My favorite snack is trail mix heavy in nuts and fruit. Trail mix travels well in a backpack. It is filling, tasty. Most importantly, train mix can be eaten at most poker tables in town. Your hand will stay clean enough to handle your cards without angering the house. I have been asked not to eat at the table before as some poker rooms no not allow food, but I can usually avoid the discussion all together by keeping the bag in my lap and just popping the mix into my mouth between hands.Trail mix is best purchased at one of the drug stores along the strip. The casino hotels will all have some in a shop, but the price will be outrageous. The CVS on Convention Center Drive also carries bananas and assorted other healthy snacks at a reasonable price. I might also by some Pop Tarts at the drug store for quick starters in the morning.
For a change of pace, I like to hit the Panda Express next to the Casino Royale. The food court in Caesar’s also has some good selections for a decent price. For the poker players, you can earn your meals at several casinos by getting and using a Player’s Club card. The MGM, for instance, comps players $1 per hour played. The Imperial Palace comps $2 per hour. Harrah’s and the Venetian also comp for poker play. Comps earned are good for pretty much anything for sale at the hotel including food, so don’t forget to use ‘em.
One word of cautions about the advertised specials: Be careful about what you order. The Vegas casinos don’t give away food like they used to, so don’t expect that because they have a super cheap special that the rest of the menu is also cheap. And the $2 steak is sometimes overpriced. Many times the restaurant will jack up the price of other items, especially drinks, to make up the difference. Buyer beware.
I’m sure there are many other hidden tricks to eating in Vegas on a budget. I’d like to hear them. The comment board is open.
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