Day 6: Getting Lucky In Vegas

My last trip to Vegas was in May for the Billboard Music Awards, so this visit was more for the respite from traveling. Our room at Caesars Palace was a free offer which included up to 5 nights stay, casino play and a Visa gift card. Upon checking in, I was informed that they had run out of the gift cards but could replace it with more casino play and 2 tickets on the new High Roller Observation Wheel, the largest in the world. Hey, I can't really complain about anything free, so I happily accepted :)

Within 30 minutes, I redeemed the free slot play to 150% its original value and then hit a jackpot to boot. Afraid to lose all my winnings, I sat at a $25 minimum blackjack table to kill some time for the sun to set and avoid the 110° heat outside. Normally I don't play with the general public on the main casino floor, mainly because they don't know how to play and do stupid things. Trust me, I've seen it all.

My favorite blackjack story was when I played with Capitals captain, Alex Ovechkin, at the Revel casino in Atlantic City. He played with a stack of orange "pumpkin" chips (value $1000) and split his 10s. At least he asked me first if it was ok to do so (was I going to say no to him?!) Luckily for us, he won his hand ($8000) and actually saved the table by preventing the dealer's 21. I just smiled while his friends cheered. I certainly wasn't going to reward him for that. He should just stick with hockey :)

This time, there were the usual idiots who I couldn't play with for very long. Eventually I made it into the high limit room where I cashed out 450% of my original buy-in after only two good shoes. Hit and run!

We ended the night with scenic views of the Vegas nightscape atop the High Roller. The area by the Linq has been transformed to a mecca of shopping, eating, and drinking, swarmed by tourists. I forgot that it was only a Wednesday night; otherwise, you couldn't tell.

Tomorrow we are going back to Cali!