Let me start off by saying that this was not one of our most exciting trips to write about, but we did have a great time. Okay, we have a very smooth Sunday afternoon flight to LV on Southwest. We get to the Avis bus to take us to our rent-a-car and our bus driver decides that he's a real humorist. He's joking the entire ride, making fun of his passengers in a light-hearted way, and then gets to us. He looks at our Avis contract and says our last name out loud, then says to the entire bus load of people, "Man, that is sure one f----- up name!" I am not kidding. My husband just sort of smirked but I thought it was way out of line. But there was our Avis car with the engine running and the trunk open so I kept my mouth shut and got off the bus.

We got to the Venetian with our freebie letter in hand and headed over to the Invited Guests check-in. After a 20-minute wait, we got to our room on the 27th floor. It was just as nice as I had heard. Unfortunately, about this time my husband starts feeling really sick from a bad, bad cold. He put on a happy face for me and we went down to the casino for a little VP. I lost my $20 in a matter of minutes, but he doubled his, so we were even. We then met some business colleagues of his for dinner at The Palm. This restaurant really bugs me. I want to like it, but I've never had a decent main course there. All of our steaks were really undercooked, not at all how we had ordered them. I'm not into raw meat. This has happened to me on every visit. But the salad and the creme brulee were delicious. It is still a nice spot and who can complain too much about dinner at the Palm? I think on our next trip, we'll try Delmonico's.

My husband is starting to feel really sick at this point. I could tell he probably had a fever of 102 but he didn't want to ruin our trip so he forced himself to keep going. We played some blackjack, walked around the strip a bit, and then finally went back to the hotel.

The next day while he was at his business meetings, I decided to pull out my Venetian slot club card at the blackjack table and earn us another free visit. I sat there for about five hours until all those Diet Cokes kicked in and I had to use the restroom. I left my stack of chips at the table to save my lucky spot and returned about 2 minutes later -- and my table was gone! That's right, the dealer and the players I had been sitting with for all those hours were nowhere to be seen. I stood there like a fool and then finally asked a pit boss where my dealer had gone. He directed me back to the right table and said my dealer had gone home for the day. I guess everyone else had left when he did. The good news was that my chips were still there! Moral of the story: don't rely on a visual ID if you have to leave a table. Make a note of the exact table number. All you experienced gamblers probably already know this. About this time, my husband found me at the tables and saw I was doing well -- at least with that first dealer. He joined me and together we were rolling along with a bunch of blackjacks for the first 10 minutes. What a tease. Pretty soon our luck turned. We got out of there just in time, but not before losing much of my previous 5 hour winnings. I sure hope I at least earned another freebie from all those hours of play! I had to laugh about presenting my slot card at the table cuz the pit boss really kept staring at my stack of chips and very casually kept typing something into the computer. This went on about every 1/2 hour during my 5 hours there. Anyone have a guess what he's typing in there?

For dinner that night, we went to Paris and Mon Ami Gabi. I've mentioned this under the dining topic, I believe, but it was a great meal and a great value. The place was empty, tho, which we found surprising. Maybe the sewer smell is really a deterrent.

After dinner, we headed over to the Bellagio for the show at the Fontana Lounge, per a recommendation from this board. It was great and we had a very enjoyable time listening to the music and watching the Bellagio water fountain show. We hit the Bellagio VP machines, trying to find a Deuces Wild that wasn't a triple hand, which was a challenge. What happened to all those single hand Deuces Wild machines? Those Triple plays really eat up your money fast.

We decide to take the advice of all the TalkVegas experts and ask to see a slot host at the Venetian that evening. We didn't know exactly what to say, but we thought, why not? After all, we're big players (ha ha). After giving us a hard look and query, the slot club receptionist finally pages a slot club host for us who is totally nice. But we feel sort of stupid standing there introducing ourselves and not asking for anything specific. He was nice, tho, and gave us his card and said if we ever needed anything to give him a call. We go back to the blackjack tables, finally calling it a night after about 1 am.

The next morning, it's already our last day there, and my husband heads off to his meetings while I hit the Forum Shops for a while -- at least when you spend money there you have something to show for it. I go back to the Venetian to check out and find myself in the elevator with some lovely people who do not speak English. They're exceedingly well dressed and smiling at me. As the elevator rises, some friends of theirs step into our elevator and begin kissing the folks already in there with me. Lo and behold, they start kissing me hello, too! It's a big kissing scene like some European movie until I exit at the 27th floor. Man, did that really happen, I ask myself.

That afternoon, I had a lousy lunch at the Venetian's Tacqueria Canon (don't remember the exact spelling). The waiter assures me that my measly chicken tostado would be much too small for lunch since it is on their "small plates" menu. Based on his recommendation, I order a small beef taco. Was he nuts! Or just trying to get a bigger bill out of me. This tostada arrives and it's covering an entire 10-inch plate. Even the busboy places the beef taco plate on the empty chair next to me, as if to say, all this food couldn't be just for you. Listen, I weigh a whopping 103 pounds and I'm 5'5", so I don't look like much of a chow hound. I was really sort of mad, especially when the bill for my lunch alone came to $17 for a big plate of lettuce and I barely ate any of it.

One of the LV attractions I had always wanted to see was the Art Gallery at the Bellagio. Since I hear that it might be closing, I head over there and hope to get myself at ticket for the next show, since our plane is leaving in about 3 hours. I was pretty lucky as there was one ticket left for the group that was just walking in, so I throw down $12 and join the crowd. I really enjoyed this exhibit. It's a good mix of styles and artists, and if you haven't been there, I recommend it before it closes. I know some people complain about it, but at least it's something different to do in LV.

Well that's about it for this trip. We got home on time, the kids were fine and our losses were not too big. I can't wait to go back!

Gail A,
Thank you so much for a Great Trip Report. I guess you would have had a better time if you would have won more. But even on my loosing trips I always have a good time too.

Glad you liked the Mon Ami Gabi, I think the place is wonderful.

Thanks again for sharing your "Las Vegas" with me. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]



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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Gail: I very much enjoyed reading your report.

I see the jerk population has increased by 1 more after you described your Avis bus driver experience. I agree with you that he was out of line.

I hope your husband recovered from his illness.

Do you think the pit boss was recording how much you were winning or how much you were winning/losing?

I really enjoyed your trip report. I'll be curious to see what future offers you receive from the Venetian.

Lee, I agree with you on Mon Ami Gabi adn would recommend it to anyone. Thanks for asking about my husband's health -- he recovered as soon as we returned home and the best news is that I didn't catch it!

I am really curious what the pit bosses watch for and enter into the computer. I put a lot of my chips into my pocket as I play, so I know what I've started out with. So any wins/losses that they are recording can't be too accurate because they're not watching you every minute. And it's not like I'm sitting there with thousand dollar chips, either.

I'm hoping to get another letter from the Venetian soon. Maybe all those hours at the table will pay off in a trip, rather than chips! I'd rather have the cash, tho :}

Gail A.

My guess is he might have just been recording your play time and amount of money you have in front of you at that time. Just tracking your play (which is his job).

My wife is a pack-rat too. She always stores the chips in her fanny pack. Sometimes as we are walking away, I'll mention something like "sorry you didn't do so well this session" and she'll start laughing. She'll have a couple a hundred in red in there! She's quick with the storing too, I very rarely see her do it. But the pit critters arn't dumb, if they got 3 large missing out of the dealers tray, and no one walked away with a fist full of reds, someone has to be storing them! [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Gail,

Thanks for the report. Sorry your husband got sick. I think it's the airplanes.

The pit boss was recording your play. They record your original buy-in, they record the average size of your bet and they record how you're doing as far as win/loss. At 21, they will also rate how well you play some times. Helps them figure how much they should be winning from you. You'll also see them do an occasional count of the dealer's chips. They'll check this against the buy ins and what people walk with to make sure everything balances.

If I'm winning, I'll also try to pocket some chips.



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Jeff, Gambling Moderator
jeff@talkvegas.com

Gail, I'm glad you had a good trip in spite of that start with the bus driver. He was waaay out of line! Thanks for a fun trip report, and thanks for the warning on the Canyon restaurant.

Thanks for the info on the pit bosses. I'm sure they got really happy when my husband sat down next to me after my 5-hour stint and they had to "change 100" for him.

Gail,

Really enjoyed reading the trip report. No report is ever uninteresting to me. I loved hearing about the elevator episode.

I can sympathize with you and your husband as I, too, was somewhat under the weather on our trip last week. But, we all know, when in LV, we must do our best to keep pluggin' away. It's too long a time before the next trip. No time for sickness.<g>

Thanks again for posting.

Beth

Gail, thanks for the report. The bus driver was out of line and if you have his name I would report him. Even if you don't I would complain to Avis. Check out their website and see if there is a way to email them.
You are the second person who had that experience a the Mexican Restaurant at the Venetian. I think everyone should learn from your experience and not get the larger meal. I don't understand the logic of the waiters doing this to the customers. All it is going to do is decrease the amount of their tips. Maybe they will get the hint if customers they do that to leave them a poor tip.
Glad you had fun and I hope you get a decent offer from the Venetian to use on a future trip.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Gail, sounds like a good trip.

I don't know how you were able to handle that comment from the bus driver. Shows incredible self control. I haven't any idea how I would have handled something like that.

The waiters at the Mexican place in Venetian have definitely been trained in selling. Mine wouldn't shut up about the margaritas. I felt like I was having a debate of the pros and cons of myself having a margarita. Being paid on a comission are we?

Gail:
Enjoyed your trip report. Can't believe the Avis driver. I agree, he should be reported. This would offend some people much more than others. It would absolutely floor some (like my Mother).

I was wondering if the Art Exhibit at the Bellagio would still be open in April when we get to Vegas. Sounds like I'd better get there if I ever want to see it!! Good to hear you thought it was worth the time and money to go see.

Sorry your husband got sick as soon as you arrived. Between my husband and I, one of us will get sick from all the germs floating around on a plane about 50% or more of the time. Usually on the way to a destination, not home, of course. It has happened so many times that we automatically take cold pills along now everywhere we go. It's always a bad sign when someone behind you starts hacking and coughing before they even shut the door. (g)

Susan

I think if the timing had been different, we would have really given it to the Avis driver. I usually don't take stuff from anyone, even if it is said like a joke. But we had just landed and were excited to start our vacation. As the driver was making his rude comment, we saw our rental car waiting for us with the trunk lid open, doors open and the engine running. I think we just wanted to get started on our trip and forget that loser.