Trip Report - NYNY & Beyond!

I'm new to Talk Vegas and this is the first trip report I've submitted. I've really enjoyed reading other people's reports and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

I discovered Las Vegas in 1994 when I went there on a business trip. The Flamingo Hilton was my first hotel and although I enjoyed staying there my first few times in Las Vegas, I decided to see what other hotels were like. After stops at Mirage, Caesar's, MGM Grand, and Las Vegas Hilton, I finally found my "home away from home" at New York New York. I've been staying there for the past 3 years and have made about 3-4 trips per year there in that time. And I don't see myself changing hotels anytime soon.

NYNY has been very good to me, both from a winning and comps perspective. While I enjoy blackjack and craps, video poker is my first love and NYNY offers a nice selection of machines. A good portion of them are full-pay machines. I've had some very good luck at them, more than any other casino in Las Vegas. As far as the slot club goes, I find it very easy to follow and have been able to take advantage of many of their offers. I have a dynamite Slot Host in Lee Abraham who is always very accommodating to me.

What I also like about NYNY is that the initial "buzz" the hotel had when it first opened has died-down somewhat and consequently there seem to be less and less screaming kids and families with strollers - not that there's anything wrong with kids, but I don't think a casino is the proper place for them. On this past trip, I visited Mirage and Treasure Island and I was appalled at the number of very young children and strollers in these casinos.

This trip was part business and part pleasure. The first part was pleasure and I arrived on a Thursday. Upon arriving at NYNY around noon, not surprisingly my room wasn't ready so I decided to get some lunch and start out slow at some quarter video poker. My favorite game is Double Bonus Poker and NYNY has some nice 9/7 machines (in both quarters and dollars) and in one part of the casino, they offer progressives on the Royal and Straight Flushes (for quarters). Since I've been lucky there in the past, that's where I headed after lunch in the America restaurant (I love that map they have in there!). Lucky for me again, in the first 5 minutes of play, I hit two 4-of-a-Kinds so I was set for a while. I played for about 90 minutes until I needed a break and by that time my room was ready.

After I got settled in my room, I ventured down to the dollar Double Bonus machines which pay very well from time to time. In the past, I've had some "Dream Runs" on the machines, while at other times I can't even get a Pair of Jacks! This first time was one of those "Dream Runs." The machine actually dealt me Four Aces on the first deal for $800! I didn't even have to re-deal the hand! Within the course of an hour, I had hit 3 more 4-of-a-Kinds (two of them were consecutive, if you can believe that!) and was up around $1,200. But soon after that, the machine went cold. And this is the part that I'm still not sure about - maybe one of you can give me some advice on this:

I do read up on the do's and don'ts of video poker but I'm never sure when my "session" should be up. They say you should play for 2-3 hours per session but my question is this - should I continue to sit on the same machine or move from machine to machine when they go cold? My $1,200 went to $1,000 in a very short time span and I saw it pointless to continue on this machine since it basically wasn't paying anymore. So what I'd like to know is should I stick with one machine during a session or play multiple machines?

Before I move on, I should also add that NYNY is very good about hopper fills. I rarely wait more than 5 minutes for someone to attend to me and 95% of the time, the person doing it does so with a smile on their face.

With that in mind, let's talk about the MGM Grand, quite the opposite of NYNY, even though they're "sister" properties. I usually venture over to MGM a few times during a trip since I've been lucky there in the past and I can get frequent flyer miles from my video poker play (how I WISH NYNY did this!!!). So I took a break from my run at NYNY and went over to MGM. Well, let me tell you - I played two different machines and each required hopper fills when I cashed out. What a nightmare! The first time I'm standing there waiting for a hopper fill and there are these 3 employees standing around joking with each other, just ignoring me. I finally yell, "excuse me!" to them and they continue to ignore me. I yell again and one of them reluctantly walks over with a frown on his face and doesn't even say "hello." The second time, I must have waited 10 minutes until a change lady walked by and took pity on me and called someone. It was really frustrating. Although I had made a little bit of money, I still wasn't a happy customer.

But it gets worse - that particular day they were setting up these new Family Feud slots which looked like a lot of fun. So the next day, I went back to play them. Sure enough, they were in business and people were swarming around them like bees. While most of the machines were nickel 9-line-pay slots, they had a few video poker versions. It wasn't until after I put my money in that I noticed the DREADFUL pay schedule (6/5 and only 3000 for a Royal Flush!). I played for a little while but wasn't doing very well, so I cashed out. Well, guess what - another hopper fill required!!! This time I waited 30 minutes for someone to even notice me - this long-faced woman didn't even look at me and snarled, "I have to get back to you." Fifteen minutes later, she finally does. I made it clear to her that I understood it wasn't her fault, but I said that waiting 45 minutes for a hopper fill isn't very good customer service. She snapped back at me, "why don't you tell it to my supervisor" and promptly called the supervisor on her walkie-talkie. The supervisor showed up fairly fast but looked like the typical incompetent MGM employee and merely said, "we're doing the best we can." While I waited for the machine to be filled up, this unknowing couple sat down at a nickel machine around the corner from me and put in a $100 bill and soon realized they were playing for nickels so they cashed out. Guess what - Hopper Fill! I told them I had waited for 45 minutes and they had this look of horror on their faces. The sullen woman finally came back with my quarters and the couple timidly told her they needed help. She said, "there's about a 45 minute wait." At that point, I had my quarters and was out of there. It may be a long time before I return to MGM again.

On my second day in Vegas, I started the morning out in typical fashion by playing video poker for 2-3 hours. (I usually do 3 sessions at video poker per day - one in the early morning, one in mid-to-late afternoon, and one in late evening. In between, I either play table games or go visit other casinos.) After my horrible experience at MGM, I went down to Mandalay Bay, which I find a very attractive hotel. I love strolling among the restaurants and can't get enough of their architecture. But after this trip, I've had enough of their video poker machines. I simply can't win there. I never have and probably never will. I haven't even come close. After throwing away about $50 in a very short period of time, I walked back to NYNY, with a stop at Krispy Kreme donuts in Excalibur!

I can't say I won or lost at NYNY that day - I think I broke out about even on video poker. I tried a new table game called "Triple Poker" which was a lot of fun but I couldn't make any money at it. I played craps for a while and started out really well. But as is typical with craps, my winnings started to evaporate quickly so once I got even, I walked away.

That night I had gotten myself a second-row seat for "O" at Bellagio. I had seen "O" once before but I had a really bad seat and wanted to see it again. Unfortunately for me, the show was cancelled due to technical difficulties. So I decided to do some gambling. Interesting about Bellagio - when they first opened, I had incredible luck at their video poker machines. I couldn't lose! But my last 2 or 3 visits there, I haven't been able to win anything. My favorite spot there is right outside the Allegro Lounge, which plays some really good jazz music. There are a bunch of machines right outside the lounge. It's fun to play video poker and listen to the music. My first few visits to Bellagio, I won hundreds of dollars at these machines. I couldn't believe how well they paid off. Not so anymore - I think I've given back everything I've won there in the past and then some! I swear that they've tightened up their machines. I didn't see anyone winning. I'm going to have to approach Bellagio with caution in the future.

After Bellagio, I went over to Paris briefly but didn't last long. They have to be the noisiest casino ever and I hate their slot club - the display on the machines just says "Accepted" and I can never tell how many points I have. I really hate that. I have no clue how one would earn comps there. At NYNY and Bellagio, I always know where I'm at point-wise and know exactly what I need to get comps. But at Paris, I have no clue. I've never had any luck there anyway.

On Saturday morning, I had another stupendous run on a dollar Double Bonus machine at NYNY. I had 2 or 3 4-of-a-Kinds and even a Straight Flush. During the course of that run, I needed 2 hopper fills and at one point I had $900 in racked coins. The floor-person graciously (and with a SMILE on her face) offered to cash them in for me so I didn't have to leave the machine. Unfortunately, after she said to me "you're sitting in the hot seat today," the machine went cold. You don't suppose she jinxed me, do you??

I spend a good part of that afternoon playing blackjack and walked away with a nice profit. That evening, I had tickets for Danny Gans at the Mirage so I went down there early to have dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen. I don't usually play machines at Mirage since I feel they're set very tight and I can't win there. I've had better luck at Treasure Island and went there briefly but I got so turned off by all the kids there (not to mention the strollers clogging the aisles), I went back to Mirage and played quarter video poker. In typical fashion, the machine I wanted wouldn't take my $20 bill so I moved to the next machine. In about 5 minutes, a woman sits down next to me with a bucket of quarters, puts in 5, and hits a 4-of-a-Kind! That's my USUAL luck!

I had seen Danny Gans many years ago when he first opened at the Rio. I was incredibly impressed with him then. Although his show is still impressive and entertaining, I was somewhat less thrilled by it now. A lot of his act seems dated and in some cases, he seems to be going through the motions. His Kermit the Frog/James Stewart duet, so touching the first time I saw it, was basically bland. He came to life with some of his newer material and his Michael Jackson impersonation was a standout. He also did some ad-libbing with the audience which was pretty funny. He seems to have a very quick wit and I wish he would do more of that. And of course, he's got a great singing voice. His new theater is nice and the sound was wonderful. From the look of it, I don't think there's a bad seat in the house.

Sunday morning began with another video poker session which wasn't too successful so I bailed out early and went to the blackjack tables where I held my own. I checked out of the hotel at noon and headed over to the Alexis Park Resort & Spa, where my conference for work was going to be held that week.

I had never even heard of the Alexis Park before I attended this conference. I found the place to be fine - not bad, but not great. The rooms were big and spacious but in need of some updating. They definitely need to get some new pillows for the beds - they're flat as pancakes! I liked the fact that they had 3 pools and you could go swimming at any time of day or night. (I don't think you were supposed to go in late at night but some people did and no one stopped them.)

Being that Alexis Park has no casino, I headed over to the Hard Rock on Sunday night to check it out. I had never been there before, as it's off the strip and I figured it was a place for loud and obnoxious twenty-somethings - boy, was I wrong! I was very impressed with the Hard Rock. Lots of rock and roll memorabilia - some of it really incredible. I love the way the casino is set up - circular with layers of table games and slots. They played a lot of good rock music, both current and older, and it was never too loud. The casino was not overly crowded and it had excellent ventilation - it really didn't matter if someone was smoking next to you. I was surprised at the relative young age of the dealers and other employees and found them all to be very nice. I had dinner at the Pink Taco Mexican restaurant and thought it was excellent.

For such a small casino, the Hard Rock has a nice selection of video poker machines. I found one bank of quarter Double Bonus machines which offered progressives on the Royal, Straight Flush, and all 4-of-a-Kinds. On Sunday night, the progressive on the Royal was around $1,300 which is pretty good for a quarter machine so I sat down to try my luck. Well, I never got the Royal but got a slew of 4-of-a-Kinds (including 4 Aces!) and made a nice tidy sum of money that night.

Over the next three days, I had my conference during the day and then headed over to the Hard Rock at night. On Monday night, that Royal was in the $1,400's so I kept trying to win that. Although the machines were paying, no luck with the Royal. Eventually I ended up at the craps table and made some good money on a woman who had never played craps before and must have rolled for 45 minutes without crapping out - the people at the table were going nuts!

On Tuesday night, the Royal was up to $1,600 and I thought this thing HAS to hit sooner or later. I was determined to win it. I must have played for 2 hours and although I came within 1 card a bunch of times, it didn't happen to me - it happened to someone else. Some guy who barely looked old enough to gamble got it - the computer dealt him 2 cards in Spades, which he held, and then it dealt him the other three. I was happy for him and relieved for myself that I could move on to something else.

On my final night in Vegas (Wednesday), after dining at the Pink Taco again, I decided to head over to the strip to browse around. I started at the Venetian which I hadn't been to since it first opened. I wasn't impressed with it then and am not impressed with it now. For some reason, I just find it tacky. Mandalay Bay, Caesars, Bellagio - to me, these places are elegant. The Venetian - tacky. I can't explain it. I just don't like it. From there I walked down to Harrah's, made a stop in Casino Royale (where I "trained" at playing Blackjack for $1 a hand when I first visited Las Vegas), strolled though my "old-haunt" Flamingo Hilton, and finally ended up in front of Bellagio to watch the fountains. They never cease to amaze me. They are so beautiful.

I didn't do much gambling that night. I think by that point I had had enough. I had a lot of luck on this trip, made a lot of money, and was feeling really good. But I just wasn't feeling lucky anymore and didn't want to ruin my good feeling. I thought it better to save some of my profits for the next time I visit this wonderful city. Still, with all my luck at video poker, funny how that Royal Flush seems to allude me!

Mike,

Thanks for the detailed trip report. We especially like the dueling pianos at NYNY. It's something we try to attend every trip to LV. There are plenty of video poker junkies on this board. Some say that your luck is just as good by staying at the same machine. I'm sure others say the opposite. We have had limited luck playing VP at NYNY. Our most luck has come from the Orleans or Sam's Town. Try Bob Dancers "WINPOKER" to hone your skills but there are no guarantees.

Keep the reports coming and welcome aboard.

Fred

Mike:

Excellent trip report. Lost track of the number of days you were in Vegas, but you sure did a lot. I found your comments on the Hard Rock interesting, as a couple of years ago we would go in there and the music seemed really loud.....I like old rock and roll, and like it cranked up, but this was really loud. I think they have toned it down some in the past year or so, it doesn't seem to be nearly as loud as it first was. (I don't think I'm going deaf either!!) (g)
I now like going in there a lot better, it's a fun place.

Susan

Great trip report. I enjoyed reading it. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/cool.gif[/img]

Mike, Welcome to talkvegas and thanks for taking the time to post what is a great trip report. Your review of NY NY has me thinking about staying there. And I heard from others that their comps are pretty good. I like the Times Square Bar, but I was disappointed in the Mowtown Cafe. Maybe I expected too much from them. I'm a fan of Motown and thought they would do a lot more with the music, videos, live acts, etc.
I am going back to Las Vegas next month and I will spend more time at NY NY and see if the place feels right to me.
Also, I have no reason or desire to go to MGM again and probably will not do so. I do not like the place and your horror story did not help it.
Thanks for posting a report that was informative and fun to read. Hope you will stick around here and have some fun and contribute with your experiences and opinions.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum and Entertainment, Attractions and Sightseeing Forum
john@talkvegas.com

[This message has been edited by John (edited 13 June 2000).]

John,Glad you liked the trip report. I enjoyed doing it. I'm not impressed with the Motown Cafe either. The food is so-so and the service is marginal. They have some neat memorabilia in there but the Hard Rock has them beat by a mile. I do enjoy some of the other restaurants at NYNY - the food at America is always good and that place is so big, getting a table is never a problem. Chin-Chin has outstanding Chinese food and Gonzalez y Gonzalez has pretty good Mexican. Il Forneo is good Italian but a bit on the pricey side. Regarding staying at NYNY, if you're a slot club member there, why not give Lee Abraham a call and see what she can do for you as far as a casino rate or a comped room goes. She's extremely nice and it's worth a try. I've been very happy there (not to mention, very lucky!).

Mike,
Thanks for your trip report. My parents are "old hands" at Las Vegas and they love NYNY and stay there every trip (they stay at several places each time they go.) The hosts there have been very good to them -- my Dad is a heart patient who has some special needs and the hosts have always gone out of their way to make my folks' stay special with comps and such.
I also like NYNY a lot but have not stayed there yet. I love the food court area and the dueling pianos at the Times Square Bar. I have only been to MGM once, several years ago before they remodeled it; and I remember sitting in the food court area and crying (yes, crying!!) becuase my feet hurt so much! We had gone there to see the MGM Lions $1 slot machines that were legendary for their payouts. Never been back; probably won't be!
Glad you had a good VP run this trip!
Question -- is there any decent quarter VP at any of the bars at NYNY? The only ones I saw were $1.
--supermom

[This message has been edited by supermom (edited 13 June 2000).]

Mike, my reservations for July are at Caesars. But I will try to go to NY NY and I will look up Lee. I may be trying out some new places and all I need is casino rate. I will take care of the rest from there. The problem I have is my wife. She was at NY NY right after it opened when the place was a zoo. She refuses to go back there let alone stay there. Maybe a few visits will change her mind.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum and Entertainment, Attractions and Sightseeing Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Mike,

Really enjoyed the report!! Don't believe I've ever played more than a few minutes at the MGM. Have never been impressed, could never win and hate that walk through the casino to the monorail.

As for NYNY, have never stayed there, but have considered it in the past. Your report will have me seriously considering it for a future trip. Seems like NYNY likes you as much as you like it. Stick with a winner.<g> My thought on playing vp machines is to leave when I get a nice win or am ahead a good amount. Probably missed some good wins, but it works much better for me. I hate seeing all my credits going down the drain when I stick at one machine too long. Best thing to do is set your limits...that is, for losing OR winning.

Please let us hear from you again. I like how you combined a lot of pleasure with a business trip. The report was a pleasure to read. Enjoy all your LV visits and hope to see you at a future TalkVegas meet.

Beth

Mike,
Nice report.Thanks for your view of things.I too do not like MGM.I've stayed there and the rooms are not bad at all large and roomy as is the bathrooms and the food courts are nice.But it is too crowded and hectic and the valet parking is the worst.I have not won there so the payout staff never affected me.NYNY used to be just as overcrowded but as you say the novelty has worn off.I've stayed there twice and like it also good eating spots and bars and location is great.I didn't have much luck there though? Piano bar and the lounge shows are always fun.Hope next time I go there I'll be as lucky as you? Thanks again for TR.
Bob NY.

I think it's very funny how most of us are in agreement about the MGM Grand - my question is: Who are all those OTHER people gambling there????

Supermom - I can't answer your question about quarter VP machines at any of the NYNY bars since I don't drink and consequently don't sit at a bar to play! But I'll check the next time I go!

John - I agree that NYNY WAS a zoo when it first opened but I swear the place has calmed down since then. I think the "zoo crowd" has moved to Paris because it's unique and new (although on this last trip Treasure Island and Mirage was a real zoo too). Perhaps you can coax your wife to spend an afternoon up there before you actually stay there. I stayed at Caesar's once and really loved it - a real class act! I'd like to stay there again sometime.

BobG - Many of my friends claim they haven't had much luck at NYNY either but I certainly have and I've seen many people win jackpots there. Although I've never been fortunate enough to win a $1 Royal Flush on a VP machine, I've seen at least one on each trip I've made there. And I've seen many people win jackpots on the slots too - two trips ago I saw some guy who had won $50,000 and he was frantic because he couldn't find his wife. The security guard just kept saying, "Sir, you have to stay by the machine - we'll find your wife for you!" Although I don't play the slots, the Elvis and Betty Boop machines seem to be popular and pay off and there are some Blazing Seven machines right by the $1 VP machines I play that seem to pay off all the time.

Mike,
Thanks so much for sharing your good times with us, and giving me my Vegas "fix" for tonight. <s>
Felt like I was right with you while I read your report!
As for your question of when it's time to switch machines or quit.
I agree with Jean Scot, and feel it doesn't matter which machine you choose, they are all capeable of dealing you that Royal. Watch your pay scales, and enjoy! I end a session, whenever I've had enough. Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down, I have no set time to my sessions.
Again, thanks for posting a report, and I look forward to your next trip already!

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

Supermom,
Only one bar with VP in the whole place and it's dollars, Empire bar. The last couple of passes through, we've had a little luck at that bar too. BTW, the tenders are friendly there too.
Wife just wanted something to drink, so we walked up, and I put a 50 into the machine for me to play. I ordered my beer, and Sue orderd her drink, they comped both, which was nice, as Sue hadn't deceided if she wanted to play there yet. We did play and we eached walked away refreshed from the cool drinks and with a few extra dollars too! <S>
Machines at the bar are Bally Gamemakers. They play BJ, let it ride , VP assorted games.

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

Thanks for an excellent report, Mike. It was timely too since I just signed up for a NYNY slot card at their web site, and they sent me an offer for 2 nights at $50. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Your point about fast hopper fills hits home; I really dislike waiting around a machine I had already decided to leave<g>.

I'll have to try the Hard Rock again; I only stopped there once and felt like I was blasted right back out by the volume of the music. Then again, I think I could stand the noise if I could be part of a 45-minute roll on a crap table. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

I can't give you a good answer on when it's time to leave a machine. Sometimes, I've won enough, sometimes I've lost enough<g>, sometimes I'm hungry...or bored...or tired...or blurry eyed...or thirsty....

You've made one heck of a debut here at Talk Vegas...welcome!

Daisy, thanks for the tip on the NY NY web site giving 2 free nights. Although I have Caesars booked for 6 nights in July, I only have 3 nights comped and I am not opposed to moving after 3 night. I'll check it out.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum and Entertainment, Attractions and Sightseeing Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Loved that report! I really like NYNY too but havent had a chance to stay there yet =( hehehehe.

I must say, as a parent myself, Im shocked to see the number of kids in the casinos...unattended is the sad part. The ONLY time my daughter is in a casino is when we are passing through to go to a room or whatever. I would never sit in a casino and play while my kid is left to run around, get lost, or worse. My husband and I gamble in shifts that way she has someone with her all the time...and we usually do it at night when she is asleep....we save the day for doing things with her...very uncomplicated system, but for those irresponsible parents it is.

Anyway, thanks for the TR =)

Jen

Mike,

I really enjoyed your report.

I don't know how experienced you are at VP, but you seem to have a natural sense of discipline and common sense. I like your idea of 3 blocks of time for serious VP play. And the fact that you quit while you were ahead and more importantly, when you got a little tired of gambling, shows you have great instincts.

I have to agree with Lee. It matters not whether you switch machines or not. Unlike slots, which can be set for different payoffs (even for machines in the same bank), in VP, all that matters is what the payscale is like.

If you have a set amount you are willing to lose in any session, it might be a good idea to get up and go for a walk when you lose, say, half of your stake, but there's no real advantage to this other than clearing your head. I won't leave a machine with a good payscale just because I'm losing on it. I'd be more likely to go for a walk if I find myself discouraged (because it could affect my play) or because I've made a bad mistake in play -- it's a sign I'm tired or not paying attention.

The biggest surprise in your report was your indication that Alexis Park's rooms are starting to slip. Since they are not cheap, are off-strip, and have no casino, their rooms are important to their success.

Mike,

Thanks for teh nice report. Will look forward to many more from you.

I'm one of the paople you see gambling at the MGM. For some reason, I've always done good there.

I like the Hard Rock too. Don't get there as much as I'd like. The music was much louder when they first opened. It got toned down after a few months.



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Jeff, Gambling Moderator
jeff@talkvegas.com

Dave, I just read an interesting article by Bob Dancer that discussed "when to move." He mentioned a friend of his that would move from a Double Bonus machine immediately after hitting a quad; his friend felt that the law of averages determined that the machines "luck" had to go down at that point. Mr. Dancer admitted that the theory sounded sensible but pointed out that the theoretical payback on DB was 101.1725% if you sat down at another machine, if you stayed at that one, if you went to a machine that a lady had played for 4 hours without hitting anything. Your reasons for moving on sound valid to me.

Daisy & Dave:

I really appreciate your comments on my question about whether to stay at a video poker machine or move to another. Interestingly, on this past trip, as unbelievable as it sounds, I hit two CONSECUTIVE quads on a $1 Double Bonus - I was shocked. And there were a few other times where I hit two of them within 5 minutes of each other. Then again, there were other times where I didn't hit ANY within my entire session!!

I always thought that if the quads were progressives, then they would hit only after the jackpots were built up a bit. But on this past trip, I saw people hit quads within minutes of each other at the Hard Rock progressives, proving my theory wrong.

I guess it comes down to move if you want, or stay if you want!!

Mike