Finally got out for my first real night of gambling since the move. There's a couple casino's closer to me but for some reason I thought Harrahs would be the closest to a 'real' casino. It's about 30 minutes SW of Phoenix. I'm about 20 minutes SE of town which put me about 20 minutes from the casino which is just past a little town called Maricopa.

All the casino's around Phoenix are on Indian land and owned by Indians Ak-Chinis just run by Harrahs. The casino isn't huge but has most games. Craps was a machine.

First time you play here you get a free buffet and $15. of slot play. I started out at a STP machine switching between tripole play deuces and DDB. Fortunately I was on DDB when I hit Aces with the kicker. Played 3-card poker for a whil and broke about even.

Took a break for the buffet which wasn't bad. Small room but above average quality for a buffet. Very good pecan pie, Daisy.

Went back to my lucky machine after dinner, lit up a cigar and got some good play but no big hits.

Time to try some Pai Gow. Found out you can't smoke a cigar at the tables. Beverages are comped but not alcohol. They don't offer casino credit either. I left the table at one point to go where they were giving away a four-pack of Frapacino plus you could win something else. I won a pair of slippers which are actually pretty nice. Played Pai Gow for about 4 hours, cashed out dead even.

I'm sure I'll go back but will probably try one of the closer casinos next time.

slippers or moccasins? LOL

I played there in October and found it to be a nice place. All the staff was great. The Diamond Lounge was a little lacking. First time I had used the new Harrah's Total Touch system to order drinks. Found it to be a nice touch even getting my diet pop quickly.