Back from Flamingo Las Vegas August 2009

[Alan Gruskoff]

Well in the Spring, the Harrah's offered a 3 night freebie. Dates were available at the venerable Flamingo around my birthday, so I took those dates. I remember in the 90's my folks used to like to stay there, so since its right in  the middle of the Strip, why not.  They get minus points for having only 2 people working to check in 100's of incoming people. I trudged through a 45 minute line just to check in. Poor management here.  I took an option for an upcharge of $25 for a "GO" room which has a flat screen and is supposed to be nicer. It did have a refrigerator and a safe, and was a generally nice room. White Naugahyde tufted headboards for those of you concerned about banging your head or your lover's head on the headboard. I didnt care for the class of people at the Flamingo, thats not their fault.  I was bugged that their 24 hour  Cafe was closed on Friday night.

One reason I took the upcharge was that it listed as having "Wireless Internet". So that means included in the room to me. No way, that have the service but charge $13.95 a day for it. That's like saying the room has water but if you actually want water its an additional $14 a day.  So knowing the the Wynn has FREE wireless, I went to their Terrace Point Cafe for a lovely breakfast every day and a full afternoon of Craps one day.  So the Flamingo lost my food and gambling business because of this greedy upcharge for Internet service.  Again, poor management here.

I started at the Rio at a table where everybody was complaining about "nobody can make a point". I see 3 Seven Outs in a row and confirm that. So I just sat on the Dont Pass mostly. I did go Pass Line/Place when this stunning blond from Myrtle Beach got the dice. Dont like to bet against lady shooters. She promptly Sevened Out and it was back to the Dont Pass for me.  It took a while, but I eventually left a little bit up.

The next day I got killed on the usually reliable Dont Pass at the Flamingo and at the Palms. My bad.

Then it was my Birthday. Not having much of my gambling stake l left I put $20 in a slot machine, it paid $150  and I was back in business. I spent the whole afternoon working Hit it and Quit it on a $10 table at the Wynn.  I really like the Wynn, the tables are nice, the dealers are great, you get a better class of people there. I left when I had a 60% profit. Then Sushi at Caesar's Palace and more Craps there. One hot shooter made me a little money. Then on to Paris where I had one great roll, hit Hard Eight 3 times and kick myself for only a partial parlay.

So I returned home to put the same gambling stake I took out right back in the bank and that was fine for me. Still haven't hit the ATM for cash when in Las Vegas for a long time.