Vegas March Madness TR

[EJXD2]

Five friends and I headed to Las Vegas March 15-18 for the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament, and our experience could best be summed by the question, “Why aren’t we staying here?”

Granted, we only asked this question for a few-hour window on Saturday, but that was long enough for us to vow that we would stay at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino next year.

How a seemingly marooned off-strip hotel marketed itself to become what it is I’ll never know, but that’s a discussion for a college class anyway. What I know is that the vibe around that hotel was like nothing I had seen in Las Vegas before.

We only decided to check it out because we needed a cab post Hofbrau Haus late afternoon Saturday. While looking for a place to watch the game, we saw big screen TVs in The Joint. We watched the game in there and enjoyed $1.50 Bud Lights plus free NFL Blitz arcade-style. This was our favorite game to play on N64 in college, so this was a coup for Hard Rock.

I’d like to think my friends and I are on our way to the balla lifestyle, but we’re certainly not there yet, so finding $1.50 beers was big considering we had dropped more than $1,000 between Bouchon and Hofbraus in an 18-hour period. Beers were $6 apiece at strip books during the games.

Getting to The Joint early to watch the game, to drink cheap beer, and to play video games apparently entitled us to a free concert, so we stuck around to watch The Dan Band, which is best known for its rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Old School-style. The band was awesome and totally brought down the house. It was a great show: high energy, lots of fun, etc.

By then it was after ten, and things had really picked up throughout the casino. Is it all tourists or is there some local vibe to the place? I remember Stern stayed at Hard Rock a couple times. Is he responsible for its place in the Vegas Hierarchy? Unbelievable.

We stayed at Venetian, and it was OK. I didn’t experience anything that would make me be loyal to it, but I’d stay there again if the price were right. Still, I’d definitely hope to try a few different place because it was just kind of meh.

I did all my poker playing at the Venetian and was much more impressed by the room than I was by my play! The dealers managed smooth games with the perfect mix of personality and professionalism. They deserved every toke they received.

Sadly, I managed to lose $150 playing about ten hours of $2-$4. Don’t let that fool you, though. I was about even on my last day in town and sat down for some Sunday afternoon action before a final dinner with my friends and managed to lose $100 in about 30 minutes (is that even possible in $2-$4? Jeez!) before bleeding another $50 over the next 4.5 hours.

You know the drill at $2-$4: seven-way pots capped, nine players for a raise. Memorable beats include 85o cracking my jacks, J6o and TT cracking AA, K9 defeating my AK, and twice a four-flush on the river cracked a flopped straight. That’s poker, and I’m proud of myself for not losing more because in almost all those instances I released my hand when I was beat.

The highlight of my poker experience was bar none my table side massage courtesy Heather from Casino Soul or something like that. It was $20 for ten minutes (plus $5 tip), and it was incredible. If Heather would have told me she worked at a spa in Vegas and gets $200 for an hour massage, then I would have booked it on the spot.

No happy ending, but I’m sure Venetian didn’t want to risk getting stuff on the cards.

It was a perfect Vegas trip for six guys, though: we watched some games (and actually did fairly well in that venue, going 11-4-1 against the spread), had some great food, drank a lot (yet managed to avoid any illness), and went to Score’s, which should steal Baskin Robbins’ slogan because the variety of cultures that beautiful women represented was very impressive.

Speaking of beautiful women from different cultures (that is, cultures different than my own Italian-American background), has anyone else noticed Asian women getting more buxom?

Yes, I just used the word buxom, and no, I’m not 60 years old, but I think the word fits. Plus, it’s not as if I’m complaining.

So that was my 72 hours in Vegas. I should amend that to 70 hours since it took two hours to go from the airport to the Venetian on Thursday night, but all was well thanks to tasty libations at Venetian, Margaritaville, Scores, Hofbraus, Hard Rock etc.

[TC Franks]

Not even a mention of my Butler touts?

Lol, glad you had a good one. I've noticed the Asian developments as well. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]