Musical Dice -- My Craps Blog

     Those who know me, know that I was in Bowie MD last Friday to visit my 97-year-old aunt. My wife and I didn't return to Houston until Friday. And now, just three days later, here we are in Vegas. How will this trip turn out? Let's find out together!

     We got to the Golden Nugget characteristically early, before 8 a.m., as we like to fly out of Houston early in the morning. We had our room comped for the four nights we were there, but it wasn't available so early in the morning. A suite was available if we upgraded for $90 a night approximatelyy, so we opted for that. It was a large luxurious suite, and we were both very much pleases. I'm glad I decided on the upgrade.

     It used to be kind of a tradition that our first meal in Vegas be at Nathan's Hot Dogs. But we hadn't done that in recent trips, since it's no longer at the New York New York casino. But this time, we discovered that they have a Nathan's Hot Dogs in the Flamingo casino. So that's where we went for lunch after resting for a while at Golden Nugget. And Nathan's didn't disappoint.

     I only wish I could say the same about the gambling. I first played craps at the Flamingo. The dice were ice cold, with the best shooter there beiny myself, but my best roll was either 7 or 8. I was gripping the dice tighter, especially around the seam, but I felt something was missing in my toss. I left the table $463 down, thinking I'd have better luch playing blackjack. That turned out to be worse. The cards were even more frigid, and I lost $750 at the blackjack table. To say the least, a $1213 loss was not the way I'd hoped this trip would start!

     After watching the Monday Night Footbaball game between the Cowboys and the Packers, I thought I'd play some poker, at Golden Nugget. I didn't do good there either, losing $687 after about 2¼ hours. I got SLAMMED on this first day, losing $1900. I can only hope tomorrow will be better than this!!!

     This day started with us going to Bagelmania for breakfast. I was in the mood for the cheesiest bagel they had. The waitress had suggested a jalapeno cheese bagel with cream cheese. I got that, and although the bagel was good, it wasn't nearly as cheesy as I would have liked it. If I only knew...

     The gambling started at MGM Grand. I played craps at a $25 table (they usually have a $10 table). It only lasted a short while, as a shooter made me just enough to get me $30 ahead before crapping out. I left at that point because after getting slammed at all three games I play, I felt I had to feel like a winner again.

     Afterwards, Mrs. MusicalDice decided to go shopping, while I played poker at the Palazzo. It didn't happen here either (I do admit I wasn't playing my best), and I lost $441 at that table. I'm considering taking another hiatus from poker.

     When my wife got back, we were both rather impatient and ready for lunch. We went next door to the Venetian, looking for the Food Court that is on the upper level, but we couldn't remember exactly where it's located. We asked one employee, who clearly didn't want to be bothered with us, where the Food Court is, and he said that he'd never heard of one on the upper level, the same level as the gondolas are, but he said that there was one downstairs. Against our better judgment, we went downstairs to that Food Court. We had pizza, but the problem was, when we ordered a sausage and pepperoni pizza, the sausage wasn't an Italian sausage like we'd expected, but some kind of chicken sausage. That pizza was one of the nastiest pizzas we'd ever tasted!

     We returned to Golden Nugget, where I played craps. At first, I got into some trouble, having to invest $700 before I started to get it back. Just before I started my shoot, a black couple came to the table, and the woman said she recognized me from Lake Charles. I don't remember seeing her, but for her to say that she recognized me from Lake Charles Louisiana, made me think she had to be telling the truth, since nobody else knew I played in Lake Charles. Anyway, apparently, I put on a good show for her and her significant other, because when I shot the dice from the end, using the Yo-Yo dice set, I ended up shooting 22 times, enough to make my Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page. I got most of my money back on my shoot, but it was the woman herself, who got the rest of my money back with a decent roll of her own. Big shout-out th Megan, the girl who apparently saw me in Lake Charles. I ended up $40 ahead after all that. No matter. I had lots of fun at this table, cutting up. Maybe things will get better from there.

     Later, we went to the Fremont for dinner. If they still had Tony Roma's we would have eaten there. Instead, we opted for Steak And Shake. I'd eaten at such a place when I lived in Jacksonville FL (less than a year before I moved to Houston, which was toward the end of 2013), and the food was good. My wife and I both opted for steak burgers, but to say the least, they didn't taste right at all. I was only able to eat half of mine. This really turned out to be a bad food day!

     I did play craps afterwards, but as I was standing at the craps table, I started to feel somewhat queasy. For that reason, I didn't stay long, winning $14 on someone else's shoot. Ended up down $357 for the day, but not due to losing at craps.

     Mrs. MusicalDice and I decided to have a nice simple breakfast at Starbuck's in the Golden Nugget. Fortunately, this meal didn't disappoint, thank god!

     Afterwards, I played blackjack, still at Golden Nugget. Unfortunately, I ran into players that didn't know how to play, and were screwing the cards up. The coup de grace came on the last round, when the player in front of me busted when the dealer had a 6 on top! WTF?! The dealer made a winning hand as a result, and I left $722.50 down.

     The only other place I gambled at this day was at the Palms, ahead of the lobster buffet that Mrs. MusicalDice and I had reservations for. I first played craps at a $10 table, where a shooter did well enough to make me $58.

     I thought I'd try to build on that success at the blackjack table. The table was good at first, but it quickly turned south, and I lost $482.50 there. I decided not to play any more cards on this trip. Whatever happens from this point on, on this trip, will happen at the craps tables.

     I then decided to play at the famous $5 craps table at the Palms. Herem another shooter went on a decent run, where I won $44.

     A friend of ours, whom we sometimes meet up with in Vegas, joined us for the lobster buffet, and the meal was wonderful (and a much-needed change of pace from the fish feces we encountered yesterday). The conversating was great. But at the end of it, I was ready to crash. So when my wife and I returned to Golden Nugget, that's exactly what I did. Lost $1103 for the day, again, not due to playing craps.

     A green-zone win for me, means a craps win of at least $100, but less than $500. Thus far, my biggest craps win on this trip was only $58. I'm hoping I can improve on that today.

     I had intended this day to be a Henderson day, where I'd gamble at places like Green Valley Ranch and Durango. But I didn't have much gambling money left, having lost $3360 so far on this trip. In fact, I almost declared myself all gambled out after the loss at the Palms. Instead, my wife and I decided to eat breakfast at the Hash-A-Go-Go restaurant at the Plaza, and that's where I subsequently played craps. I figured if I lost, at least I got to play at one of my favorite casinos.

     I had three shoots from the end, and each time, I used the Yo-Yo dice set. The first shoot, I shot 9 times, enough to just about break even, after falling behind at first. I felt confident enough to do 4 units across (this was a $10 table), with the intention of reducing my Place bets after the third hit. However, I only made it to one hit before I crapped out on my second shoot. I almost added $200 to my initial $500 investment, but I really didn't feel like chasing. I figured I'd probably be all gambled out after this session. When I got the dice for my third shoot, I decided to only go 54 across. Like at Golden Nugget when I had the 22-roller, I gripped the dice tightly, especially at the seam, and lofted the dice somewhat high. This time, it worked out much better. Mrs. MusicalDice was pleased to see me cutting up, for I was rather displeased after the last shoot. I ended up shooting 28 times, enough to put another entry into my Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page. And I ended up getting my money back plus $120. Finally, a green-zone win!

     Much of the rest of the day was spent inside our suite at Golden Nugget. I just wasn't up to gambling as much on this day.

     I didn't play in Henderson, but apparently, we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant that was very close to Henderson. I think it was called Taste, and the roasted duck was delicious. Afterwards, while my wife checked out a small crafting get-together, I played at the Gold Coast casino, at the $5 table. This resulted in two quick but nonetheless winning sessions, one for $17 and another for $22. Yea, it's only $39, but I'll take that over losing anyday. I ended this day up $159. Finally, a winning day!

     For breakfast on this last day, we ate at Blueberry Hill, a locals favorite near the Pal,s casino. The breakfast was great. I even got to eat a bona fide Polish Sausage, something we were looking for, both on the first day, and again yesterday. In fact, my wife said this was the best meal she had here on this trip. I actually think the lobster buffet was the best, but Mrs. MusicalDice doesn't eat seafood.

     Perhaps I was thinking about the singer of the song "Blueberry Hill" when I decided to play next at the Orleans casino. For the singer, Fats Domino, lived in New Orleans (and was caught up in Hurricane Katrina in 2005). Anyway, I played craps at the Orleans, standing at the end, and when I got to shoot, I bet the All-Tall-Small for 5-5-5. I used the Yo-Yo dice set, doing the same style as I did at the Plaza and the Golden Nugget, shooting 15 times. Near the end of my roll, I hit the tall for $150. I had fallen behind prior to my shoot, so when I cashed out, I "only" ended up $186 ahead. That was enough to pull me ahead for the trip, in terms of craps!

     I had one small final goal I wanted to achieve before the end of this trip, and that was to get my deficit down below $3000. I played craps at Golden Nugget to try to do this. This time, I didn't get to stand at the end, but at Stick Left 1. Normally, I'd use my Hardway dice set here, but given how much I was lofting the dice, and if the dice should Y off, there'd be a good chance of my rolling a 7, I decided to use the Even Crossed Sixesn (6/2-6/4) dice set instead. By the time I got the dice, I was bebind, and I wasn't at all sure how this was going to work. But it worked out well enough for me to shoot 20 times, and get yet another entry into the Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page. I got my money back plus $39. My foma; deficit for this trip: $2976. But had a net hain of $107 playing craps for this trip. Who would have thought that?

     I'm going to very cautiously say that I may have found something that really works for me as far as gripping and tossing the dice. The only way for me to really be sure of this is to take more chances with higher bets and using regression strategies. My next gambling trip won't be until the second week in November. I'll find out at that time. That's all for now! ☺