June 1-4 TR
Just got back yesterday.
Backstory- was planning on going at least once in June. I received a ton of offers for the month from the Wynn, including a black card giveaway (free money), a free tournament entry (75k top prize?), 2.5k free credit in a mailer (my usual is 1.5), a poker tournament entry (actually really sad I couldn't make this one, the structure looked good, the payouts were big and I would get multiple bullets to fire; I have to figure even though I haven't played a competitive hand of poker in years I'm still a massive favorite over your typical Wynn hi roller who literally will hold a pair over 2 pair bc "2 pair can't make quads"). I think there's a Land Rover (150k in cash, a bunch of other free prizes) giveaway later this month as well.
When I looked at everything, this past weekend definitely made the most sense. Mom can make the free slot tournament as well, and I could redeem potentially three of the offers. So, I made the reservations only to find out I cannot combine multiple offers. Hard stop. I asked in a number of ways, no dice. So, I elected to do the giveaway (most +EV from what I could see) and forgo the other offers. Mom is still playing in the tournament.
As I'm arranging the trip, I know I need someone else to come along if possible. Just me and Mom is not going to provide enough non-gambling distraction for me in case I get crushed. All my usual friends are out, so I ask the Manny who has come many times with us before, but usually is helping with my kids- I know he hasn't been since Dec 2021. He's actually really excited to come, and he and Mom hang out much more than I do, honestly. So we've picked up a third!
I briefly get a family of three who I've been with before to come along- they commit and get really excited, but then have to bail for financial reasons. I had already purchased tickets for Mad Apple for them- no refunds so they ate that cost which is a shame. They actually make a really good living, much better than me, but are in the midst of a near- 1 MILLION
dollar home renovation and are cash poor. I offered them a no-interest 10k loan so they could come, pay me back any time, but they didn't feel like they could accept. So we were 2, then 3, then briefly 6, and now back to 3.
Agenda-
Thurs- arrive, don't get crushed, dinner at Sinatra
Fri- Mad Apple Cirque show at NYNY (second time for me), dinner at L'atelier Joel Robuchon at MGM.
Sat- Mom plays in the tourney, dinner at Min's Test Kitchen (new for all of us, he's the executive chef at Mizumi and is doing a pop up concept while Mizumi is being renovated)
Sun- leave
Bankroll- 50k
Other items- I've been doing keto hardcore since I got back from Vegas in Apr. It's not TOO different from how I've eaten since 2009 (Paleo/low carb), but the reality is I've slowly but surely lost discipline since 2017 and have the dad bod to show for it. So it's been past time to dial that sht back in. It's been going well, I've lost 10lbs and and visibly more fit. This will be the first test since that time- if I can mostly behave myself this weekend I'll consider it a win. I will clearly eat some carbs at Joel Robuchon (it would be a sin not to), and since it's our first time at Min's I'll have to try the items as they're meant to be.
Day 1
We head to the airport late morning. People may remember from my last TR me getting F'd by Southwest last minute and having to drive- let's hope we don't see a repeat of that.
Slight delay but otherwise no issues.
Never gets old.
To no one's surprise, the main suite is not ready, AGAIN. I feel like this happens the majority of trips. Mom's room is not ready either (I've got the main, nanny has the connecting, and mom has a stand-alone room) so we drop our bags off in N's room. Mom and N want to grab lunch, I grab a snack from the VIP lounge, a bourbon from the bar and then head to... what else, but UX.
It takes a while to open the account, and I know I was down 5k pretty quickly at UX. PLEASE DON'T RUN COLD! I head over to hi limit.
Get dealt quads #1 pretty soon after!
I'll take it, but not enough obv.
OK this is awesome!
I'm pretty sure I played that ticket down to 10k, cashed it out and fed bills in again, bc the next pic is-
I know I give a ton back, and switch to an old school machine to slow it down.
I played a ton, and despite the 2 royal hits I know I finished the whole session down. By my estimates at least 6-7k (most of that initially to UX). I head to the room to take a break.
I get changed for dinner and hit the machines again. I lose rapidly and decide to use up my free credit- 1500 + some nominal amount from a promotion they're running.
Start.
And... in the midst of using up the free credit, dealt quads #2!
MEH.
End. Amazing payback %, somewhere close to 400%.
After that, the machine turns ice cold. I quickly donk back several K and finish pretty much right where I started that session, so annoying. I'm down 8k heading into dinner.
Sinatra
OK, assuming I get my usual (veal parm) and really take it easy on the "truffle" fettucini I shouldn't mess up my ketosis too badly...
Everything is the usual 7-8/10.
After dinner, I'm pretty tired. I know I should go up- I've been up since 4:30am and I'm stuck. The only way to avoid a 1st day implosion is to not play... OK, I'll just put 2k in UX. If I lose it it'll be ultra fast, and I can live with a 10k first day loss.
I hit dealt quads #3 within a few minutes of the session! 10 play, UX!
COME ON where are the premiums!
At least I have bullets now.
More bullets.
WOW. MORE BULLETS! I'm now up for the day!
Keep going. Give a little back. I'm near my stopping point, but the machine is just generally warm. Lots of small 500-1000$ hits, nothing outstanding but certainly better than average. Then, dealt quads NUMBER 4!
FINALLY!!!!!! BANGBANGBANG FCKYESFCKFCK!!#@##@@#
In true autohold fashion, it took me a second to realize what happened. Once I did, obv of course I was ecstatic. And almost as quickly, I started lamenting general lack of multipliers...
Finally. All the years I've been playing at the Wynn, never got dealt 4AWAK before. I can check that off my list. I bask in the glory for a bit, it takes them a while to unlock the machine, and then I'm back at it.
The machine stays warm- more 500-1000$ hits. Unfortunately no jackpots from this point, and eventually I end up giving back at least 7k. I am so sleep deprived that I'm starting to feel ill, and now that the adrenaline is fading/I'm losing I feel really sick. I head up to bed around 11:30pm, and it's all I can do to brush my teeth and hit the sack without vomiting. Really weird that it came on that fast but at least I made it back to the room. Wish I didn't have to give back 7k in the process of getting upstairs, but life of a degen...
Day 1 result- +60k
Dealt quads- 4, including the BIG ONE!
Day 2 coming soon...