Dates of Trip: December 23-25
Location: Ellis Island Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Big Bets Hit:
- All tall, all small, make them all ($5) x 2 - $1050 x 2
- $50 Hard 8 x 4 - $450 x 4
Friday :
You know the feeling when you wake up the morning of Vegas trip? The alarm that we spend all year running from is somehow welcome, even begged for. Friday was no different for me, I couldnt wait to get my trip started and after a quick bit of work I was off to the airport to do just that.
The flight from my home in Phoenix is easy as any, 45 minutes after boarding I am off the plane and on the way to grab a taxi from the easiest airport in the country, right in the middle of the city of sin. This trip is a special one, my birthday is tomorrow (Christmas eve) and I am here for 36 hours of pure degeneracy. All in due time to get the first flight home on Christmas morning and be back in time for the rest of the world's idea of a celebration.
The taxi to the strip is always easy, 15 minutes and you can be gambling but today being the slowest weekend of the year, I am at Ellis Island in under 10, the first good win of the trip. For those who have not been to Ellis, I can not recommend it highly enough. Family owned for 55 years you wont find a more attentive staff or Degen friendly atmosphere anywhere in town, I promise you that. Check-in is swift and in a few minutes they have checked me into a suite and I've broken into the bar that the host has left fully stocked. Like most Degen's I cant sit around long once I am in town, after all we came for a reason. Off to the dice table we go...
As soon as I walk into the casino I am blessed with another early win, a $10 dice table with no one on it (They have $5 as well). Typically I like to play with a crowd but this being the first moment of a solo birthday trip, the prospect of having the dice all to myself for a good session was perfect. Buying in for $1000, two of the dealers recognize me after reading the players card, ask me how I have been, and I can tell we are in for a fun session.
Before long we have action in the game, the point a 6 just came hard ways and we had it two ways for $5 a piece. Racking up my odds winnings I tell the dealers that we are going to parlay the whole thing and go for a big win together ($50 for each of us on the hard 6). Pass two red chips to the dealer for a two-way yo (eleven in craps speak) we are back to throwing the dice. Determined to not make us wait long I roll 3-3. There is nothing better than being the loudest table in a casino when you are playing by yourself, high-fives go around from me to the crew and amid the excitement, I make sure we keep our bets up and go for it again.. $450 hit for me, $450 for the crew. Unfortunately, just a handful of rolls later, I would 7 out to and end the Hard 6 streak.
Truthfully, the rest of the night was just as hot with our first ATAS (all tall, all small) bonus coming less than 30 minutes later. With $15 on the bonus I am collecting $1050 and the dealers are bringing in $360 themselves, we stay hot!
By now, myself and the crew have made entirely too much noise to be playing alone and my $10 dice table is now completely full. The night rages on with hot shooters and cold ones, Vodka Redbulls and shots of tequila, before we know it we just hit another parlayed hard 8 and the dealers are racking up another $450.
In a true testament to their service, at midnight on the dot the staff brings shots to everyone on my table, its time for the birthday toast. Never have I seen a casino stop the action to make strangers wish a player a happy birthday, but at Ellis they did just that. The drinks down and I am already forgetting that I am supposed to feel older.
By the time we make it back to the room, its nearly 1:00 am but when we empty our pockets we are throwing a quite the stack of hundreds on the nightstand. We end our first night, with $2500 of the casino's money, a good night.
Fun Scorecard: B
Gambling Score Card: B