great start. i was super pumped for you when i saw the dealt quads with multipliers

Wowee what a fantastic start to the trip

I for one, would prefer to see a pic of that glorious veal parm again the next time you go to Sinatra but given how hot you’re running, I suggest you persist with the wagyu and pasta next time!

I’d prefer that auto pay vanishes and brings back slot attendant jobs


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I hope your meal at International Smoke was better than my experience when they had a location here, near my home in Northern San Diego county.

Had one of my worst dining experiences EVER a few years ago at their El Paseo location. Terrible service, over-salted, over expensive food. No wonder they closed their doors. There is a much better restaurant there now.. South of Nicks..upscale Mexican..

Day 2 con't

When I left off, I was having a hell of an AM. It's time for breakfast at Tableau.




I didn't order the bacon but they brought it by accident. Probably the best cooked bacon I've had at the Wynn in some time, I'm glad they made the mistake.

After breakfast, I give multiline a try. I do this sometimes (as I'm sure we all do)- keep going back to something that's not hot, hoping it will turn. The knowledge that it shouldn't make a difference kicks in here- there's no reason any machine will be hot/remain hot/stay cold etc. I do, however, have some small desire not to give too much back to a previously hot machine. So, put another way, if I'm going to lose, I'd rather it be on multiline right now rather than spin or X? Meh whatever, this is all just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic anyways.



LO and behold, multiline is hot! I think I won 10k this session. As one can see, I ended up playing pretty big too.

I head up to take a nap and stretch my neck. It's probably around lunch time before I head back down. I have nothing on the agenda until dinner at MGM and the NYNY piano bar. I basically played at every location and just dumped money. Finally walked into my first major cold patch of the trip. To give a sense, I haven't taken a pic since 10am, and this next one isn't until 2pm. YEESH. That is far too long of a cold patch. I know I gave back over 5 figures here, I want to say 15k? So I'm still up 5k for the day but... it's only the early afternoon. I decide to use up my free credit.




Start.



End. Just about 90% payback.

Old school remains cold, and I head back to hi limit.



OK, that's VERY helpful!



All of these UX hits but no multiplier... this is not sustainable.



Last hits of the afternoon. It's not enough, but at least it was break even. I'm still up 5k for the day. Time to head to MGM! I'm eating at International Smoke on a whim, never heard of this place before, haven't eaten at a new place in a while, and I haven't had good BBQ for even longer. If it's meh... at least I changed it up.



"Smoked" Old Fashioned. Pretty decent, 8/10.



I way over-order bc I wanted to try different stuff. I also got the corn bread to start just to see (forgot the pic, 7/10. A little too crumbly). Broccolini bc I need some greens, 7/10. Rib sampler bc why not? The Korean and traditional KC ribs were 8/10, carnitas 6-7/10. Fried rice bc pork belly + rice = I'm eating it. 9/10. Overall, a decent place but nothing special. I'd come back here with friends so we could order a bunch of stuff and share. As it is, I know I ordered like an A-hole and I actually had buyer's remorse as soon as the food arrives. I just lit money on fire here and wasted food which I don't like doing. I think I finished MAYBE 1/3 of the food in front of me. At least the portion sizes were there. I'll know better next time.

Now it's time to head to NYNY and the dueling piano bar. I came here in 2005? for my bachelor/bachelorette hangout when my wife and I got married by Elvis. Had about 20 friends with us that time. Now I'm that lonely middle-aged man who'll be sitting by himself drinking and singing. Whatevs- I lost my ego about 10 yrs ago.



This woman's husband put "You've lost that loving feeling" in as a request for her, which of course meant all the men had to serenade her like in Top Gun.



Random old lady who gives zero Fs. Mask? Check. Styling hat? Check. She was dancing, feeling up the pianist and having fun. Good for her.



One of the pianists also played guitar.

As can be seen, I had a front row seat. I ended up staying about 2 hrs and it was a fun time. I need to come back here with my wife/karaoke crew- it did get a little lonely simply by myself. I'm also not a fan of how they do their requests, although I get it. Basically, more tip with a request = bump the line. In practice, you had to tip a 20$ to even have a shot of your song being played. For songs that you know get requested multiple times a night (eg, Don't stop believing, Piano man etc) they start asking for 100$ before they even play the song. The thing is, there are so many people there either willing to chip in 20$ or dudes who want to act like big shots that every single time a song like that came up, they were at the 100$ in seconds.

I think if I were a pianist in a set up like this I'd shoot myself. How many times a night can you entertain a request from a drunken fraternity guy for Journey or Living on a Prayer? I can play basically every one of the over-requested fan favorites, which is a sure sign they're played out. Anyways, I'm glad I came and probably saved myself some money by doing so.



F1 grandstand "view" of the Bellagio. I hope F1/Vegas' partnership ends early but that's another post.

By the time I get back to the Wynn, it's after midnight and I'm exhausted. Time for bed. Second day win in the books!

Day 2 result- +5k
Overall- +45k

Day 3 coming soon...

You'll see from the post I just made. OK, nothing terrible, nothing special. Service was outstanding- I think the waiter felt bad for me eating by myself, and then felt bad for me bc I obv over-ordered. He had a look on his face that seemed to me if I asked for a partial refund/reduction in bill just bc I stupidly over-ordered, he'd probably have knocked some off the bill. I didn't ask and still tipped 25%, of course.

You had a much better experience than I did. Of course, they were at different locations. When I went, the Korean ribs were so salty, they were completely inedible. Service was the worst I have had at any restaurant in my 50 years on this planet.

Next time you want good BBQ in Vegas, venture off the strip and get the beef ribs, or really ANYTHING, at Rollin Smoke. 10/10..

Leon had Rolling Smoke before from previous recommendations here and was very disappointed.

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all round an awesome day 2

I'm also a fan of the piano bar at NYNY. Definitely on the low rent side, but one of the least pretentious and most real places for a boozy night out with friends on the Strip and ...so long as you're not the guy paying $100 for a song...it' very good value.

and tbh you probably answered your own question re the pianists. I'm sure there aren't many (any) other places where they can earn that much coin

Day 3

I sleep in quite a bit for me- almost 7am. Also nothing on the agenda today other than dinner at Wing Lei. I head downstairs, reminding myself to preserve this win.



This is the only hit from pre-breakfast. I'll tell you right now I "knew" I was getting a jackpot out of this draw before I even hit the button. The AM was frigid, and when premiums aren't hitting it's basically a guarantee a slap in the face like this is coming in.

I head over to Jardin for breakfast. I made this reservation purely from the "change it up" standpoint. I've been here a few times recently after years away and have been underwhelmed. I'll keep beating my head against this wall until proven otherwise.



Eggs benedict with bacon. 9/10. Really impressed, and validates my decision to give this place another chance!

After breakfast, I beat my head against the wall a little more. I can't remember but I think at this point I'm down 5k for the day.



Good result here.



Does this count as a "dealt premium"? Hold a single ace...



Things are starting to heat up. First royal of the trip!



"Dealt quads"? Again, holding just an ace...



Came in twice here from a pair. Both in the upper right corner, both without kicker unfortunately.



Both good results.



As can be seen, I had a great post breakfast session. I think I played up until lunch time and while I'm sure I gave a bunch back at the end which made me get up, it was still way profitable. I think I won 10k that session, so I'm up 5k for the day now and 50k for the trip!

I take a small break, then head back to the machines. It's SO icy and I give back the 10k I won earlier in just a few hrs. The hits below are the only ones from the session, note ongoing lack of multipliers on big hands at UX.



At this point, I decide to give craps a try. I may have played an earlier session in the trip- if I did it was obv so unremarkable I don't even remember right now. I buy in for 3k and decide to get all the even numbers, 440$ (so 100 on 4 and 10 and 120 on 6 and 8). The first two rolls are decent, nothing great but not losers. I'm up to shoot. I hit a few numbers and get my roll paid for pretty quickly. I also hit my point multiple times- this is less helpful to me, since I'm min betting the line and it's hard for me to press. There's a fairly big bettor on the line with me though- I think his line bets started at 200 and got as high as 500, full odds each time. So other people are getting very excited and the table has good energy. It's also getting crowded.

At some point, I started to drill 10s. The trip I had with my buddy D in Sept?, I believe I hit my record. Got the 10 up to 750$, collected, but never hit it at 1k. This time, I went 100-200-400-700-1000 bc hey, I'm up for the trip!



Achievement unlocked.

A few numbers later, I hit 10 again and go to 1500$.



Achievement unlocked, again!

I should mention I was also betting for the dealers on all the even numbers as well. I started with 5$ on 4 and 10, and 6$ 6 and 8 for them. I'm pressing and making their bets bigger as we hit. I start to hit a bunch of 4s and at my height got that up to 1k (obv would have rather had 10s). Then... 5 5 AGAIN! I juice the 10 up to 2k, a new record. I wish I had gotten a pic of that one but couldn't find a good spot to take the pic. Alas, that was as high as the 10 got- never did get to use the 2k bet. I got the dealer 10 up to 250$, that would have been sick to hit for them as well too.

After I 7 out, I get a hearty round of applause. Big bettor colors up immediately, I think for about 2 sec and do the same. I did come here to slow the bleeding at the machines down, and I'm only three rolls in... but the likelihood that any future roll this session is going to be anywhere near as fun as it just was is near zero. So, I color and am left with-



In for 3, out for 13 and change. I left about 4k on the table that roll

So I've now erased the blood bath before craps and am up 5k for the day again.



These are the only hits from the entire PM session. So, so terrible. I give BACK the 10k from craps, and am now DOWN 5k for the day again. I even went upstairs for yet another nap/stretching session. Argh. I'll pick up the next installment at dinner...\

Day 3 so far- -5k
Overall- +40k

To be continued...

I sure do love a good craps session!

You mentioned betting for the dealers. What I think I understand is each spot on the table has corresponding spots on the betting surface.

So, in the shot with 10, you have $1500 on, and somebody two spots to your right has $50 (?).

How are the dealers' bets handled, so the cameras know it's for them?

Usually in the middle of the bet field. Like if he places the 10 for $50 and the crew for $5, the $5 chip is in the middle of the 10 spot, where his bet corresponds to his position on or around the table.

This is a good question bc the Wynn has changed how they do things somewhere in the last couple of years.

The dealer bet is actually 125 in that pic, upper left corner. Typically, if you make a dealer bet they put it in the middle as AZ just said or on top of your bet. I do what is called "player control", meaning I get to decide the outcome/payout. If you don't specify, usually what is done is if it the bet hits, they take the entire bet + payout and drop it for the dealers.

By saying "player control", I can press them, add to their bet, etc and not have to keep putting in more of my money. In essence, it's actually another bet I'm making, but I've specified all results will be for the dealers. When you get a hot roll with player controlled bets, it can get super fun.

The way the Wynn has changed things, they started forcing player control bets to be put on top of the normal player bet. So you get this really confusing stack of money, most is "mine" and some is for them. When you start pressing bets it gets really hard to track. I don't know why they made this change but supposedly "too much money" was going to dealers and not the house. Obv the dealers themselves hate it. When I first dealt with it I complained loudly and when they enforced it I stopped making dealer bets entirely. They "put a note" in my account which says I can make these bets the old way (ie, off to the side), but it's taken a few trips for it to be consistently enforced for me.

For instance, I've had a couple sessions recently where I tried to make a dealer bet, they stack it on top, I tell them check my account, they "can't find the note", and I immediately pull the bets down. After which the dealers says to the box, "thanks a lot John". After they ACTUALLY check, lo and behold I can make the bets I wanted to make. Anyways, stupid situation but I'm back to doing things the "old way".

So, in summary- dealer bets are separate, normally. If you don't specify player control they're typically one and done. If you do say player control, you can do anything you want with it- including pocketing the money yourself (but that'd be ultradouchey of a move).

I always enjoy the side quests on Craps.

I would totally mark out for a Keno swing by our hero in a hi limit room.

Rest of Day 3

I'm supposed to eat at Wing Lei. I've had variable experiences here in the past. I'm mostly here bc I haven't been in a while and am trying to keep things fresh.



Amuse bouche, some kind of tea? Whatevs.



Amuse bouche number 2, couldn't even tell you what this was. Definitely had a mushroom in there. 5/10.



Sea bass, 8/10.



Braised pork belly, 9/10.



Complimentary desserts.

Overall, I was very happy with the seabass and pork belly. This was a better experience at Wing Lei than I've had most of the other times. They were pretty fast too, no screwing around, just get me my drink/get my order/bam bam bam food in quick succession, which since I was dining by myself I was totally good with.




I only make it until 9:30pm! 9:30 on a Sat night in Vegas... sad. However, I legit don't feel like playing, my neck is killing me, and I'm trying to lock in a win and have hit my stop limit for the evening. If I keep going and lose more I'm really going to be pissed. When I get to the room, I take a pic of all the tickets/chips I have on me, since this'll probably be the high point of the trip (assuming I don't go on a massive tear tomorrow)-



Whoa. I have 110k on me! WTH??!

I think back to the previous days. I know I brought 50k. I "know" I won so much on Day 1, so much on Day 2, etc. And yet, I'm more than 10k in the black more than I thought I was! How have I miscounted so badly?!

I start piecing things together. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but as near as I can tell I had a few sessions that I logged the initial amount in (a loss) but somehow didn't take into account the net. So as an example, I stick a 5k ticket in the machine, I recorded -5k, but then if I cashed out a 5k ticket forgot to revamp the total to reflect zero loss. The irony being, this is the first trip where I've tried to keep better, written data of each session... and it ends up making me LESS accurate. Weird. So the numbers below reflect my new "best" estimate...

Day 3 result- +5k?
Overall- +60k

Day 4

Neck is still bothering me. Too much sitting and playing at a machine. Plus, I'm sleep deprived and trying to lock in a win. Despite lights out at 10:30pm last night, I sleep until 7am! That's gotta be a record for me in Vegas.



That is the only hit from the pre-breakfast session. Just terrible and I lose 5k really fast. Back upstairs for room service.




After breakfast, I walk right into the same buzz saw as before. I'm playing really slowly and still hemorrhaging.



Slightly helpful. Finally got a multiplier, but only 2x.



At some point, I hit my daily loss limit of 10k and blow right past it. Go to give craps a try... it's ok, but definitely not good, not fun, and what's more standing up and throwing dice is bothering my neck even more than sitting. Screw it- go back to the machines and continue playing slowly.

I hit a "new" daily loss limit of 15k and manage to stand up. I do need to pack and cash out my tickets... I just can't believe how awful the last day is. I know it's not totally true, but it sure seems like my last few trips I have consistently done well more often that not, save for the last day. WTF. OK, I can stop now. Once I cash all my tickets etc it turns out that yep, I lost 15k in just a few hrs of "slow" play. I am reminded of just how awful variance can be when you're on the wrong side of it. Given I'm still booking a nice win, and I'm a little gambled out to be honest, that's never a bad lesson to learn.

Day 4 result- -15k
Overall- +45k

Thoughts- not many that haven't already been expressed. Survived a solo trip (actually had a great trip financially). I'm really looking forward to surgery (sometime in the next few months hopefully). I can't live like this and it's affecting my ability to sit at a machine and play. That's sad, but also the truth. If I can't have fun smashing buttons in Vegas while being up that tells you something. Can't believe I lost count of how much I had on me to the tune of 15k! but if I knew that who knows, I might have donked off more money.

Also seriously considering departing my next trip in Vegas on Sat night. I don't know why Sunday "always" seems to be so crappy, but there it is. Even if it's not, the last day always seems to be more about dragging it out and waiting for check out time than actually having fun. I always try and leave in the afternoon on Sundays to give myself almost a full day, and beat the airport madness, but if I'm just going to sit around not having fun, what's the point? Of course, the other part of me knows it could easily go the other way too in any number of ways- I get crushed early and wish I had a Sunday to play, I get crushed Sat night and don't want to leave on a loser, I don't get my typical "fill" of Vegas and leave with regrets... etc etc. Who am I kidding. I'm pretty sure I'm not changing my MO any time soon. Sure would be nice to have a monster last day though.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks again, Leon. It's always refreshing to read your trip reports.

Hope your neck gets better mate. Neck or back pain is just incredibly debilitating

Also…$45k!! Well done

Great trip report. Happy you booked a nice win

Congrats Leon. Another great trip and report.

Great trip and result and report, thanks for posting. Herewith my attempt to improve your life by asking dumb questions you've already thought of:

Would they comp spa and massage and such? I don't recall you ever saying you go there? Or just not your thing.

With all that extra F and B how many flasks came home?

Wouldn't the buffet be good for breakfast or lunch? I presume you could skip any line.

No cabana this trip to chill out in because you were solo or too chilly or both/other?

Is it possible to change your flight to earlier in day when you go to bed on a Saturday locked in with a win? I too have noted your Sundays seem to routinely suck.

I wonder if they have a piano onsite you could play. Another way to blow off steam and relax between sessions.

Congratulations on the big booked win even with a lousy end day. Happy Birthday.

Great trip and result and report, thanks for posting. Herewith my attempt to improve your life by asking dumb questions you've already thought of:

Would they comp spa and massage and such? I don't recall you ever saying you go there? Or just not your thing.


I've been to both spa and massage, but not often. Spa I tend to reserve for when I've got a friend with me so we can chat, otherwise I get bored fast. I did a couple's massage with wife years ago, given there's no co-ed spa to hang out in after even that seems like kind of a waste. I've done more deep tissue massage/recovery for athletics in my life than I can count, so paying for something I can do 99% of myself with a foam roller/lacrosse ball seems kind of dumb. Plus it really, really hurts.

With all that extra F and B how many flasks came home?
I brought home 16 oz of Stagg.

Wouldn't the buffet be good for breakfast or lunch? I presume you could skip any line.I can and I went Sept with D, but I don't go that often bc the food's only ok and it's kind of a waste.

No cabana this trip to chill out in because you were solo or too chilly or both/other?Too cold and since I need to use my comp dollars these days to pay for it, I'd rather save it for friends/family.

Is it possible to change your flight to earlier in day when you go to bed on a Saturday locked in with a win? I too have noted your Sundays seem to routinely suck.Probably. I'll be looking into this more.

I wonder if they have a piano onsite you could play. Another way to blow off steam and relax between sessions.I asked my host before and he ghosted me, which is his "polite" way of saying no. I asked him "how much out of pocket for a Villa during March Madness" and he ghosted me twice. Kind of annoying, actually.

It's an injustice this thread doesn't have a 5 star rating. Get on it guys! (Yes I realize the original thread had it)

I will not rate this thread less than 7 star

7 Stars is off the table imo.

I'm on board with 6 or 8 tho.