Note:  This is an older Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts and anyone else who loves fun.  It was written back in 2008.  Most of this information is now outdated and some places mentioned no longer exist.

Saturday, December 28, 2008 – Day Seventeen of Twenty One

I woke up at Fitzgeralds at at 10:00.  I’m doing a lot better with sleeping in.

I go down for breakfast, stopping at the old school wheel poker and lose some money.  I go on a losing streak and am back in my room at 10:45.

I manage to actually take a nap today . I go back out at three-ish.  I play at Fitzgeralds and lose everything I have left for today until I am down to my last $100 bill.  This isn’t good.

I walk over to the El Cortez and its 4:30. I want to eat at Robertas here.  Of course, since I don’t have a reservation, I have to wait an hour and a half.  That is fine.

I lose $10 in nickel video poker. Then I go for Multi Strike Super Times Pay, but some woman is on it.  Fine. I sit at the Super Times Pay video poker next to her in hopes of grabbing her machine when she leaves.  As I sit down she hits 4oak and says “you must be good luck” and then she touches me. I yank my arm away and say nothing. I play penny Double Double Bonus video poker . I got so many four of a kinds, of course on pennies  I only have a picture of Queens with an 8 times multiplier.

The woman next to me shows no sign of giving up or going away. I would also like to note that she didn’t tip the cocktail server who brought her water. I have a headache and I want a cigarette. As much as I want the woman next to me to GO AWAY so I can play the machine, I still don’t light up because it’s rude to light up when you sit next to someone who is there first and who is not smoking.

I get up and head to the gift shop and get a Diet Pepsi and some Aleve. I take the Aleve and then walk outside to get some fresh air as I smoke.  I come back in.  The same woman is still on the Multi Strike Super Times Pay. Someone is also now on the machine I was just playing.

I go over to Invaders From the Planet Moolah.  First $5 gets me $25, second $5 gets me nothing. I walk back, same woman on Multi Strike Super Times Pay. Someone is on the penny Super Times Pay.  I play penny Multi Strike. I play forever on a $5. I cash out at $10. I put another five in and I never double it but I can’t get down to zero. I actually had to cash out at $1.30 because it was just after six and I needed to go to Robertas.

I’m seated in a booth and I can’t see the booth next to me because there is a wall between us. Eventually I figure out Jackie Gaughan, owner of this fine establishment, is seated there.  Not only does he own the joint, he lives here as well!  He has a penthouse on the top floor of the hotel. You can also see him playing poker on a regular basis.  Of course, that allows you the opportunity to play with him.  So many people came up to talk to him.   What a very nice guy.

[Jackie Gaughan passed away in 2014, shortly after the El Cortez closed their poker room. So if you are interested in playing against Jackie, you need to hop into a time machine]

My food was great, always is. This time they took 50% off instead of the $25, which is what they are supposed to do.

After eating, I go back out and check Multi Strike Super Times Pay.  The woman is gone but it’s locked down, which is something casinos will do for their VIP’s to make sure their machine is available when they come back.  Are you kidding me?  This woman was playing it at two cents per credit.  Max bet is 24 credits so she was playing 48 cents a hand. THIS is enough play to get a machine locked down? Are you freaking kidding me?

I go back to penny Multi Strike, nothing. I try penny Super Times Pay video poker again, I hit 2’s, no picture. I realize I lost my Diet Pepsi somewhere.

At some point the woman next to me comes back and they restart the game for her. As its booting up I spot my Diet Pepsi sitting at the Multi Strike machine I was just at. I want to go and get it but I don’t want to leave this machine. So begrudgingly, I have to turn to the Multi Strike Super Times Pay hog and ask her to watch my machine for me. I have never done this before in my life and I hate when people ask me to do it. But it’s seriously fifteen feet away and I’m back in three seconds, probably less. From here, I stop winning anything so I leave.

Back to Fitzgeralds. I cycle $50 through nu wheel and finally hit 5’s, which gets me…..$50. while I’m waiting for my hand pay, I decide to put $20 more in after. I put in $40. I lost $40.  Today is like the second or third (or maybe even fourth) day in a row where I swore I was going to get on a bus and go out venturing and not just walk around Fremont street dropping my money all over the place. Guess what? I am a liar.

[2014 called again.  It wants you to know that if you have been reading these as I post them, you can read the next installment today as it has already been uploaded and has been sitting on my site for a while now.  You can find it here]