5 Dutch guys with an "excellent vacation-mentality". TR+PIC
09-15-2018
, 02:25 AM
Day 21, the day we bring out the big guns
First thing on the agenda is getting the shades of Ouwkes fixed. So, Roald, Ouwkes and I are off to the Fashionshow mall.
The people at Lenscrafters are really helpful and after they repaired his glasses there is no charge.
On the way back to the car we decide to put 20$ each in a buffalo gold slot machine. Lo and behold, we actually win something! Not much, but a win is a win on a slot machine in my opinion.
A few months back Ropski took us all out to dinner for his birthday and as a gift we promised to take him to a shooting range in Vegas. Today is that day and after some online comparison we landed on Battlefield Vegas, near Circus Circus.
Most of us have never fired a gun before (besides some skeet shooting that we did a year ago), so we really have no clue which guns we should pick. They have this whole menu we can choose from and after a while we randomly pick out a few, varying from a Glock to an AK47 and M60.
We get a quick safety instruction, a pair of safety glasses and ear protection and then it’s off to the shooting range.
I must admit, this gets the juices flowing!
After we have paid the bill (almost 550$ for a total of 11 guns, so not really cheap) we want to get a nice picture of the Strip. We think that the roof of the parking garage of TI provides a good view, but unfortunately this is not the case.
We have some time to kill before dinner, so we stroll through TI and enter Senor Frogs for a drink. The TV is on and we see that game 2 of the Knights is about to start. Ouwkes suggests watching the game near the T-Mobile arena. We all think this is a great idea, but first we must get back to the apartment to drop off the car and change into clothes that are a bit more suitable for dinner and the rest of the night.
It’s almost 7pm when we arrive at the T-Mobile arena and the place is buzzing. So many people gathered there to watch the game on the huge screen on the Arena itself.
A DJ is spinning during the commercial breaks and when the Knights score, the crowd goes nuts. I quickly start filming, here are some screen grabs.
It’s 7.45 and unfortunately, we must leave (knights were behind and lost we found out later), because we made a reservation at 8pm. The guys still have no clue where we are going to. We enter the Cosmo and when we take the escalator to the 3rd floor there is a small doubt that we are actually going to Secret Pizza. Instead, we walk over to Beauty and Essex. For those who don’t know, Beauty and Essex doesn’t look like a restaurant, but has a pawn shop as a facade. Sort of like a speak-easy situation. Luckily, they never heard of the place and are a bit puzzled when we open the door inside the shop and enter this establishment.
The food is real nice. Everything is for sharing, we have bone marrow, small goat cheese pizzas, tacos etc. for starters and for the main we have Salmon, rack of lamb and a Tomahawk steak. There are no windows, so it’s fairly dark, therefore the pictures aren’t all that great.
before
after
Fedor mentions to the staff we are here because both Roald and I are celebrating our birthdays. So of course, after a while the staff comes over with chocolate lollipops and start singing happy birthday. Not embarrassing at all! Roald is clever enough to start singing and clapping too, so now it looks like I am the only one.
When we are finished we are in the mood for (not surprisingly) some cocktails. We haven’t ticked off the Mandarin Bar yet, so it’s an easy choice.
Vending machine just outside the Mandarin Bar
Even though it’s pretty crowded, the atmosphere is not that great, so we start making plans of what to do next. The plan is to go to the Coyote Ugly bar in NYNY. Not my first choice, but Mrs. Ouwkes is fan of the movie and we want to see with our own eyes what kind of place this is.
Somewhere along the way some of us think that we are going to the Irish pub (which was also an option), so when Fedor walks by the first entrance of NYNY, Roald, Ouwkes and I are entering the casino. Ropski is caught in the middle of this and thinks we are pranking Fedor and trying to ditch him. This is not the case and I figure that he is going to take another entrance and that we meet up with him in Coyote Ugly.
The 3 of us pay 5$ to enter the bar. Worst.Place.Ever. Don’t ever go there. What a dump. While we finish our drink as quickly as possible there is still no sign of Ropski and Fedor. We do get a text message from Ropski that he is going back to the apartment.
We leave this place and sit down at the Crazy4Poker. Funny detail in this casino is that they don’t have cards with hearts on it but with red apples (New York, the big apple….get it?)
After an hour or so, without letting us know where he went, Fedor joins. When we didn’t show up at the Irish pub, he decided to just leave and head over to the MGM and win some money with roulette.
It’s close to 3AM when we are back in the apartment. Ropski is still up and after explaining it was all a big misunderstanding it’s time to hit the sack.
First thing on the agenda is getting the shades of Ouwkes fixed. So, Roald, Ouwkes and I are off to the Fashionshow mall.
The people at Lenscrafters are really helpful and after they repaired his glasses there is no charge.
On the way back to the car we decide to put 20$ each in a buffalo gold slot machine. Lo and behold, we actually win something! Not much, but a win is a win on a slot machine in my opinion.
A few months back Ropski took us all out to dinner for his birthday and as a gift we promised to take him to a shooting range in Vegas. Today is that day and after some online comparison we landed on Battlefield Vegas, near Circus Circus.
Most of us have never fired a gun before (besides some skeet shooting that we did a year ago), so we really have no clue which guns we should pick. They have this whole menu we can choose from and after a while we randomly pick out a few, varying from a Glock to an AK47 and M60.
We get a quick safety instruction, a pair of safety glasses and ear protection and then it’s off to the shooting range.
I must admit, this gets the juices flowing!
After we have paid the bill (almost 550$ for a total of 11 guns, so not really cheap) we want to get a nice picture of the Strip. We think that the roof of the parking garage of TI provides a good view, but unfortunately this is not the case.
We have some time to kill before dinner, so we stroll through TI and enter Senor Frogs for a drink. The TV is on and we see that game 2 of the Knights is about to start. Ouwkes suggests watching the game near the T-Mobile arena. We all think this is a great idea, but first we must get back to the apartment to drop off the car and change into clothes that are a bit more suitable for dinner and the rest of the night.
It’s almost 7pm when we arrive at the T-Mobile arena and the place is buzzing. So many people gathered there to watch the game on the huge screen on the Arena itself.
A DJ is spinning during the commercial breaks and when the Knights score, the crowd goes nuts. I quickly start filming, here are some screen grabs.
It’s 7.45 and unfortunately, we must leave (knights were behind and lost we found out later), because we made a reservation at 8pm. The guys still have no clue where we are going to. We enter the Cosmo and when we take the escalator to the 3rd floor there is a small doubt that we are actually going to Secret Pizza. Instead, we walk over to Beauty and Essex. For those who don’t know, Beauty and Essex doesn’t look like a restaurant, but has a pawn shop as a facade. Sort of like a speak-easy situation. Luckily, they never heard of the place and are a bit puzzled when we open the door inside the shop and enter this establishment.
The food is real nice. Everything is for sharing, we have bone marrow, small goat cheese pizzas, tacos etc. for starters and for the main we have Salmon, rack of lamb and a Tomahawk steak. There are no windows, so it’s fairly dark, therefore the pictures aren’t all that great.
before
after
Fedor mentions to the staff we are here because both Roald and I are celebrating our birthdays. So of course, after a while the staff comes over with chocolate lollipops and start singing happy birthday. Not embarrassing at all! Roald is clever enough to start singing and clapping too, so now it looks like I am the only one.
When we are finished we are in the mood for (not surprisingly) some cocktails. We haven’t ticked off the Mandarin Bar yet, so it’s an easy choice.
Vending machine just outside the Mandarin Bar
Even though it’s pretty crowded, the atmosphere is not that great, so we start making plans of what to do next. The plan is to go to the Coyote Ugly bar in NYNY. Not my first choice, but Mrs. Ouwkes is fan of the movie and we want to see with our own eyes what kind of place this is.
Somewhere along the way some of us think that we are going to the Irish pub (which was also an option), so when Fedor walks by the first entrance of NYNY, Roald, Ouwkes and I are entering the casino. Ropski is caught in the middle of this and thinks we are pranking Fedor and trying to ditch him. This is not the case and I figure that he is going to take another entrance and that we meet up with him in Coyote Ugly.
The 3 of us pay 5$ to enter the bar. Worst.Place.Ever. Don’t ever go there. What a dump. While we finish our drink as quickly as possible there is still no sign of Ropski and Fedor. We do get a text message from Ropski that he is going back to the apartment.
We leave this place and sit down at the Crazy4Poker. Funny detail in this casino is that they don’t have cards with hearts on it but with red apples (New York, the big apple….get it?)
After an hour or so, without letting us know where he went, Fedor joins. When we didn’t show up at the Irish pub, he decided to just leave and head over to the MGM and win some money with roulette.
It’s close to 3AM when we are back in the apartment. Ropski is still up and after explaining it was all a big misunderstanding it’s time to hit the sack.
09-21-2018
, 04:38 AM
. It's already written, but under review. Expect to post it within 24 hrs.
09-22-2018
, 02:18 AM
Day 22, the day Fedor makes another cameo in a vlog
This morning, Ouwkes and I are on our way to the outlet again to buy a watch for Mrs. Ouwkes. We visit several shops, take plenty of pictures and send them over. While we wait on the decision, Ouwkes quickly buys some cute clothes for his little girl.
Within 15 minutes we get the reply that she likes several watches. Ouwkes buys one and we are off.
On our way to the outlet
Back in the apartment we take a few more pictures of the watch, so she can see what it’s like in daylight. Sure enough, 30 minutes later we get a reply that in retrospect, this watch is not wat she had hoped for. Women……
We will deal with that later. Time to eat something. For months, Fedor and Ouwkes have been collecting points via a Binion’s app and it’s time to capitalize those damn hats/points they’ve been talking about forever. We are getting a $100 discount for lunch, but they need to get a Binions card first. It takes quite a while to create this card and by the time they finally have their coupons, I lost 6 Lbs. and grew a beard.
I must say, with a $100 you can order about everything on the menu of the binion’s cafe, so it is somewhat worth it. After lunch, they lose 40 bucks in exchange for a gift worth 10 cents. Great deal! Time to stroll over Fremont street and have a look at the Container park. This part of town is better during the night-time in my opinion. Daylight reveals too much.
Some things cannot be unseen.
On our way back, we drop off Fedor at the Westgate. He wants to play in a Trooper-Thursday game.
even waiving at the camera....
The rest of the afternoon we relax and it’s already late in the evening when we grab a cab to Mandalay where Fedor joins us (it was a great game, really bad players……. so he lost 1k in classic trooper style).
The tables at Mandalay are juicy again and I win over $400. It’s time to change the scenery and we decide to take the tram to Excalibur. Some of us have a hard time getting on the right tram, but somehow, we all find our way to the poker room.
Here, the tables are less optimal and I’m also not playing my A-game. I lose $200 and I decide to try my luck at the craps.
I break even and when I return to the poker room, the rest is gone. They are off to the Bellagio, where they see players like Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan and Sorel Mizzi who are all in Vegas for the WSOP.
I roam around the Excalibur for a while and when it’s close to 6 AM I decide to head home. When I open the door, I see that the rest of the gang also just returned. Time to get some rest. I can safely say that we are not sticking to a regular sleep schedule the last couple of days….
This morning, Ouwkes and I are on our way to the outlet again to buy a watch for Mrs. Ouwkes. We visit several shops, take plenty of pictures and send them over. While we wait on the decision, Ouwkes quickly buys some cute clothes for his little girl.
Within 15 minutes we get the reply that she likes several watches. Ouwkes buys one and we are off.
On our way to the outlet
Back in the apartment we take a few more pictures of the watch, so she can see what it’s like in daylight. Sure enough, 30 minutes later we get a reply that in retrospect, this watch is not wat she had hoped for. Women……
We will deal with that later. Time to eat something. For months, Fedor and Ouwkes have been collecting points via a Binion’s app and it’s time to capitalize those damn hats/points they’ve been talking about forever. We are getting a $100 discount for lunch, but they need to get a Binions card first. It takes quite a while to create this card and by the time they finally have their coupons, I lost 6 Lbs. and grew a beard.
I must say, with a $100 you can order about everything on the menu of the binion’s cafe, so it is somewhat worth it. After lunch, they lose 40 bucks in exchange for a gift worth 10 cents. Great deal! Time to stroll over Fremont street and have a look at the Container park. This part of town is better during the night-time in my opinion. Daylight reveals too much.
Some things cannot be unseen.
On our way back, we drop off Fedor at the Westgate. He wants to play in a Trooper-Thursday game.
even waiving at the camera....
The rest of the afternoon we relax and it’s already late in the evening when we grab a cab to Mandalay where Fedor joins us (it was a great game, really bad players……. so he lost 1k in classic trooper style).
The tables at Mandalay are juicy again and I win over $400. It’s time to change the scenery and we decide to take the tram to Excalibur. Some of us have a hard time getting on the right tram, but somehow, we all find our way to the poker room.
Here, the tables are less optimal and I’m also not playing my A-game. I lose $200 and I decide to try my luck at the craps.
I break even and when I return to the poker room, the rest is gone. They are off to the Bellagio, where they see players like Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan and Sorel Mizzi who are all in Vegas for the WSOP.
I roam around the Excalibur for a while and when it’s close to 6 AM I decide to head home. When I open the door, I see that the rest of the gang also just returned. Time to get some rest. I can safely say that we are not sticking to a regular sleep schedule the last couple of days….
09-22-2018
, 08:41 AM
09-24-2018
, 06:24 AM
09-29-2018
, 04:35 AM
Day 23, the day we play the Strat tournament one more time
I am developing a cold and I keep coughing and coughing. It’s pretty annoying and since I don’t want to disturb Fedor in his sleep, although he doesn’t seem to notice it, I get up at 9. I am not the only one who is already awake (Vegas and sleeping 8 hours a night is a combination we just don’t get) because Ouwkes is already off to the outlet to swap the watch and Roald is in the mood for a breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi.
It’s rush hour at Mon Ami and since we want to sit outside we have to wait for 30 minutes. We use this time to buy some cough-syrup with raspberry flavor. Granted, I taste a hint of raspberry, but it mainly tastes like a combination of smelly socks, overripe bananas and the devil’s ass.
We call Ouwkes to ask if he wants to join us. He is already on his way back and says he’ll be there in 15 minutes.
Breakfast is good. Normally I order a salmon bagel, but this time I decide to go for an onion soup and some fruit
We wouldn’t be ourselves if we leave the strip without some gambling, so we walk over to the Planet for some Crazy4Poker.
The rest of the morning and afternoon we try to relax as much as possible because tonight, we all want to play the Friday tournament in the Strat one more time.
I try to sleep a bit and when I wake up, Ropski is already off to the Strat and Fedor and Ouwkes went out to try out Rollin Smoke BBQ (reportedly so so).
Roald and I are in desperate need of some Thai Food, so we drive to Lotus of Siam which is nearby. We have 2 options, wait for at least 45 minutes to sit at a table, or sit at the bar right away. Easy choice, sitting at the bar it is.
We can choose the spiciness of our food on a scale of 1 to 10. I order a 6, but dial it back to a 5 when Roald asks if it’s a Western scale or a Thai and they confirm it’s according to the Thai standard.
In hindsight, 6 or even a 7 would have been more than ok.
We are all in time for the tournament. There is no surprise that one of us wins and it is also not a surprise that it’s either Fedor or Ropski. This time it’s Fedor and again we each win $130. I almost feel embarrassed. Almost…
We are off to the skylounge again for the late happy hour. The attendant asks how our days were and we already know what is coming.
He doesn’t disappoint when he tells his days has had its ups and downs. We ask if that joke is mandatory for all the attendants. His response is actually funny when he says that they are taught to think INside the box.
Unfortunately, they cancelled the late happy hour from the start of June, so we only order a few cocktails and skip the appetizers.
Sometimes there is nothing left to talk about
We are all feeling we are nearing the end of our vacation and even though it’s Friday, after some cocktails we all want to go back to the apartment. All but one and that is Ouwkes. He wants to make the most of the time he has left and while we enjoy a beer back home he goes off into the night.
I am developing a cold and I keep coughing and coughing. It’s pretty annoying and since I don’t want to disturb Fedor in his sleep, although he doesn’t seem to notice it, I get up at 9. I am not the only one who is already awake (Vegas and sleeping 8 hours a night is a combination we just don’t get) because Ouwkes is already off to the outlet to swap the watch and Roald is in the mood for a breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi.
It’s rush hour at Mon Ami and since we want to sit outside we have to wait for 30 minutes. We use this time to buy some cough-syrup with raspberry flavor. Granted, I taste a hint of raspberry, but it mainly tastes like a combination of smelly socks, overripe bananas and the devil’s ass.
We call Ouwkes to ask if he wants to join us. He is already on his way back and says he’ll be there in 15 minutes.
Breakfast is good. Normally I order a salmon bagel, but this time I decide to go for an onion soup and some fruit
We wouldn’t be ourselves if we leave the strip without some gambling, so we walk over to the Planet for some Crazy4Poker.
The rest of the morning and afternoon we try to relax as much as possible because tonight, we all want to play the Friday tournament in the Strat one more time.
I try to sleep a bit and when I wake up, Ropski is already off to the Strat and Fedor and Ouwkes went out to try out Rollin Smoke BBQ (reportedly so so).
Roald and I are in desperate need of some Thai Food, so we drive to Lotus of Siam which is nearby. We have 2 options, wait for at least 45 minutes to sit at a table, or sit at the bar right away. Easy choice, sitting at the bar it is.
We can choose the spiciness of our food on a scale of 1 to 10. I order a 6, but dial it back to a 5 when Roald asks if it’s a Western scale or a Thai and they confirm it’s according to the Thai standard.
In hindsight, 6 or even a 7 would have been more than ok.
We are all in time for the tournament. There is no surprise that one of us wins and it is also not a surprise that it’s either Fedor or Ropski. This time it’s Fedor and again we each win $130. I almost feel embarrassed. Almost…
We are off to the skylounge again for the late happy hour. The attendant asks how our days were and we already know what is coming.
He doesn’t disappoint when he tells his days has had its ups and downs. We ask if that joke is mandatory for all the attendants. His response is actually funny when he says that they are taught to think INside the box.
Unfortunately, they cancelled the late happy hour from the start of June, so we only order a few cocktails and skip the appetizers.
Sometimes there is nothing left to talk about
We are all feeling we are nearing the end of our vacation and even though it’s Friday, after some cocktails we all want to go back to the apartment. All but one and that is Ouwkes. He wants to make the most of the time he has left and while we enjoy a beer back home he goes off into the night.
10-01-2018
, 09:08 PM
10-03-2018
, 05:49 AM
Day 24, the day we visit a show
When I wake up, Ouwkes has just returned from his night out. I ask him what happened and all he can say is “Vegas happened”. I know when to stop asking questions....
I still have some chips from the Excalibur, so it’s time to get rid of those in exchange for money. Roald is already out and about, and he just texted if someone is up for a Shake Shack burger. Since Shake Shack is on the way to Excalibur I don’t see the point of not getting one of those tasty burgers.
While we are at Shake Shack, Fedor calls from a tixfor2night booth and asks if we want to go to Absinthe tonight. This show has been on our to-do list for quite some time, so it’s about time. We agree, and he also asks if we want to join Ropski and him to the outlet to do some final shopping. I have everything I need, but Roald wants to come along, so they will pick him up near the T-Mobile Arena after our burger.
Now, the plan was to cash out the chips, but I end up losing them and a bunch more at several table games. Sometimes you need to feed the dragon.
The others make a serious dent in their shopping budget, the kind of shopping that makes you hungry afterwards. It’s time to try something new and since Bachi Burger is also one of those places we haven’t visited yet, they opt to go there. Serious tasty burgers and milkshakes! Also, great service, so they definitely recommend this place.
trying on a new outfit for carnival next year
Ouwkes is not such a fan of shows, but he still joins us on our way to Caesars, because he has collected enough comps to eat for free at the bacchanal buffet. He was not kidding when he said that Vegas happened…..
On our lyft ride to Caesars, Fedor asks me if I’m joining Ouwkes to the buffet. I just look at him to see if he’s joking. It looks like he is serious and when I remind him that I will also join to see the show and that he bought 4 tickets, things start to add up with him again. The lack of sleep is starting to get to him I guess.
The show is highly entertaining, a mix between very good performances and funny racy stuff. This show is not for the PC-police. When an Asian girl is picked out of the audience, terms like “Arrigato-hai” and references to working at a nail-salon are easily made. Luckily all races and sexual preferences are treated equally, and everyone has a great time.
After the show we all sit down at the Caesars poker-tables. We start to recognize some faces and the tables don’t seem to be very juicy. I win over $300, but Ropski is having his worst session of the entire vacation. Whenever he gets premium hands, he manages to lose them all. Fedor drops some buy ins too so it’s time to leave.
Some of us already left to gamble in the Pleasure Pit in the Planet. One by one we all make our way to the planet for one final Crazy4Poker session with a view.
Ropski is pissed off. “Over 3 weeks in Vegas and they still don’t know I don’t want lime!!”
It’s around 4 AM and I’ve got a case of the munchies. Ouwkes and Fedor decide to call it a night, but Roald, Ropski and I treat ourselves to a nice Earl of Sandwich sandwich.
One hour later we are all feeling tired, so it’s time to walk back home. Luckily, it’s only 1.2 mile.
When I wake up, Ouwkes has just returned from his night out. I ask him what happened and all he can say is “Vegas happened”. I know when to stop asking questions....
I still have some chips from the Excalibur, so it’s time to get rid of those in exchange for money. Roald is already out and about, and he just texted if someone is up for a Shake Shack burger. Since Shake Shack is on the way to Excalibur I don’t see the point of not getting one of those tasty burgers.
While we are at Shake Shack, Fedor calls from a tixfor2night booth and asks if we want to go to Absinthe tonight. This show has been on our to-do list for quite some time, so it’s about time. We agree, and he also asks if we want to join Ropski and him to the outlet to do some final shopping. I have everything I need, but Roald wants to come along, so they will pick him up near the T-Mobile Arena after our burger.
Now, the plan was to cash out the chips, but I end up losing them and a bunch more at several table games. Sometimes you need to feed the dragon.
The others make a serious dent in their shopping budget, the kind of shopping that makes you hungry afterwards. It’s time to try something new and since Bachi Burger is also one of those places we haven’t visited yet, they opt to go there. Serious tasty burgers and milkshakes! Also, great service, so they definitely recommend this place.
trying on a new outfit for carnival next year
Ouwkes is not such a fan of shows, but he still joins us on our way to Caesars, because he has collected enough comps to eat for free at the bacchanal buffet. He was not kidding when he said that Vegas happened…..
On our lyft ride to Caesars, Fedor asks me if I’m joining Ouwkes to the buffet. I just look at him to see if he’s joking. It looks like he is serious and when I remind him that I will also join to see the show and that he bought 4 tickets, things start to add up with him again. The lack of sleep is starting to get to him I guess.
The show is highly entertaining, a mix between very good performances and funny racy stuff. This show is not for the PC-police. When an Asian girl is picked out of the audience, terms like “Arrigato-hai” and references to working at a nail-salon are easily made. Luckily all races and sexual preferences are treated equally, and everyone has a great time.
After the show we all sit down at the Caesars poker-tables. We start to recognize some faces and the tables don’t seem to be very juicy. I win over $300, but Ropski is having his worst session of the entire vacation. Whenever he gets premium hands, he manages to lose them all. Fedor drops some buy ins too so it’s time to leave.
Some of us already left to gamble in the Pleasure Pit in the Planet. One by one we all make our way to the planet for one final Crazy4Poker session with a view.
Ropski is pissed off. “Over 3 weeks in Vegas and they still don’t know I don’t want lime!!”
It’s around 4 AM and I’ve got a case of the munchies. Ouwkes and Fedor decide to call it a night, but Roald, Ropski and I treat ourselves to a nice Earl of Sandwich sandwich.
One hour later we are all feeling tired, so it’s time to walk back home. Luckily, it’s only 1.2 mile.
10-03-2018
, 07:04 AM
10-10-2018
, 04:20 AM
Day 25, the day we go out with a bang
It’s close to 11AM when I wake up. Fedor and Ouwkes are at the pool, Ropski and Roald are chilling in the apartment.
I want to try my luck one more time in a tournament, so I get ready to walk to the Flamingo to play the 1PM $80 buy-in tournament. I ask if someone else is interested, but there are no takers.
Within 1 orbit I double up where I make the obvious straight, but villain can’t lay down his KK. From that point on I don’t look back and before I know it, I am at the final table. Top 6 gets paid and with 7 players left and 2 short stacks I am not prepared to make a deal. Unfortunately, the guy on my immediate left is a very skilled player and very aggressive. He really dominates the table and when I am in a hand with him, I have to make a huge lay down after his river bet.
Luckily the short stacks go broke and we are ITM. I double up with KQ vs JJ, so when we are with only 4 players we decide to chop. The chip leader wants a bit more, but that’s ok as far as I am concerned. The rest of us wins $565 and I tip $15, so I leave with $550. And the best part is, I don’t have to share it with the others! The entire vacation I was freeloading and now this. So, to needle a bit I send a picture of the money I won. The replies make this win even better.
When I return to the apartment the others are there as well. Fedor and Ouwkes went to Shake shack and to Red Rock and Roald did his final shopping in the Miracle Mile.
This is our last night, so we want to finish with a proper dinner. Before we can discuss what we want to do, Fedor tells us he already made a reservation somewhere and if we can guess where it is, he will pick up the tab. With all these restaurants in Vegas this is impossible, and we quickly give up.
The Lyft driver brings us to the SLS and that can only mean one thing; Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres. Speaking of high end dining….
Next to the a la carte menu, there are also 3 tasting menu’s. They vary in price-range and are pretty expensive, but while we all try to decide what to do, Fedor casually mentions that dinner is on him anyway. Dude, really???? We didn’t see that coming and don’t know what to say.
We go for the middle one. Food is great, the bottles of wine we order are great, all in all an excellent dining experience.
We try the same trick the others did with us and mention that it’s Fedor’s birthday. Where Roald and I received complimentary chocolate lollipops at Beauty and Essex, Fedor gets this.
There is only one way to finish this night and that is with cocktails. So, off the Cosmo and the Chandelier for several Verbanas.
Somewhere during this drinking session, Fedor wants a Licor 43. In Holland we use the Spanish name, Cuarenta y tres, but when he orders this drink, the waitress needs to check if they have that. We can see the bottle from where we are sitting, but we are curious to see what will happen. 5 Minutes later she comes back with the remark that they don’t have it. We take a stab in the dark and ask if they have Forty Three. Ah, yes, they have that. Ok, let’s go for that then.
It’s close to 3AM and Roald and Ouwkes have a really early flight tomorrow morning. They have to leave at 6 and we already agreed to bring them to the airport. Staying up this late and getting this drunk is a choice we will definitely regret in the morning, but it is all worth it!! What a great ending of a great vacation.
Tomorrow the day we all hate, the day we go home.
It’s close to 11AM when I wake up. Fedor and Ouwkes are at the pool, Ropski and Roald are chilling in the apartment.
I want to try my luck one more time in a tournament, so I get ready to walk to the Flamingo to play the 1PM $80 buy-in tournament. I ask if someone else is interested, but there are no takers.
Within 1 orbit I double up where I make the obvious straight, but villain can’t lay down his KK. From that point on I don’t look back and before I know it, I am at the final table. Top 6 gets paid and with 7 players left and 2 short stacks I am not prepared to make a deal. Unfortunately, the guy on my immediate left is a very skilled player and very aggressive. He really dominates the table and when I am in a hand with him, I have to make a huge lay down after his river bet.
Luckily the short stacks go broke and we are ITM. I double up with KQ vs JJ, so when we are with only 4 players we decide to chop. The chip leader wants a bit more, but that’s ok as far as I am concerned. The rest of us wins $565 and I tip $15, so I leave with $550. And the best part is, I don’t have to share it with the others! The entire vacation I was freeloading and now this. So, to needle a bit I send a picture of the money I won. The replies make this win even better.
When I return to the apartment the others are there as well. Fedor and Ouwkes went to Shake shack and to Red Rock and Roald did his final shopping in the Miracle Mile.
This is our last night, so we want to finish with a proper dinner. Before we can discuss what we want to do, Fedor tells us he already made a reservation somewhere and if we can guess where it is, he will pick up the tab. With all these restaurants in Vegas this is impossible, and we quickly give up.
The Lyft driver brings us to the SLS and that can only mean one thing; Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres. Speaking of high end dining….
Next to the a la carte menu, there are also 3 tasting menu’s. They vary in price-range and are pretty expensive, but while we all try to decide what to do, Fedor casually mentions that dinner is on him anyway. Dude, really???? We didn’t see that coming and don’t know what to say.
We go for the middle one. Food is great, the bottles of wine we order are great, all in all an excellent dining experience.
We try the same trick the others did with us and mention that it’s Fedor’s birthday. Where Roald and I received complimentary chocolate lollipops at Beauty and Essex, Fedor gets this.
There is only one way to finish this night and that is with cocktails. So, off the Cosmo and the Chandelier for several Verbanas.
Somewhere during this drinking session, Fedor wants a Licor 43. In Holland we use the Spanish name, Cuarenta y tres, but when he orders this drink, the waitress needs to check if they have that. We can see the bottle from where we are sitting, but we are curious to see what will happen. 5 Minutes later she comes back with the remark that they don’t have it. We take a stab in the dark and ask if they have Forty Three. Ah, yes, they have that. Ok, let’s go for that then.
It’s close to 3AM and Roald and Ouwkes have a really early flight tomorrow morning. They have to leave at 6 and we already agreed to bring them to the airport. Staying up this late and getting this drunk is a choice we will definitely regret in the morning, but it is all worth it!! What a great ending of a great vacation.
Tomorrow the day we all hate, the day we go home.
10-11-2018
, 12:50 PM
