<br><br>Monday, October 21st<br><br>[color:blue] Casinos and Side Trips </font color=blue><br><br><br><br>The Pai Gow pit at the Bellagio is right across from the popular, "meet you at the Baccarat Bar", Baccarat Bar.<br><br>The walkway over the Strip is obviously elevated. It affords a great view up and down the Strip. At night, don't miss it. It's not often mentioned, probably because it's transportation related, but it's worth experiencing for the "in the middle of it all" kick, if for no other reason.<br><br>The walkway leads to the second level, the casino entrance of the Bellagio. I went down the escalators upon entering the casino to the street level and a plaza and watched a daytime fountain show. Then back up the escalators to the casino, made my way towards the Pai Gow pit and stopped along the way for some VP. Lost $20, (i played a few quick hands of Pai Gow before leaving the Orleans) Make that down $60 for the day. <br><br>There's no need i think, to describe the Bellagio, it's a magnificent property and everyone knows it. The Bellagio can grow on you, when you're there, you can feel it's the only place to be in Vegas. This phenomenon is common in Vegas. I get this same feeling at the Mirage, New York/New York, Mandalay Bay, Arizona Charlies. the Rio and Dowtown at night. Everyone has their own favorite places.<br><br>I settled in for some Pai Gow, Bellagio Style.<br><br>There were two well dressed couples at the table when i began play. They were dressed in black and white, enjoying themselves, knew the game and were betting somewhat over the $10 limit. Their speaking accent was a clipped spanish and i'm guessing they were from spain. Later, an aging cheerleader type, of about twenty three i'd say, sat down. She knew how to play fairly well, bet the minimum and played mostly with her face in her hands. The dealer, in a friendly way, suggested to her that she may have had "a rough night last night". She smiled and said that she definitely did and on top that, she was leaving Vegas later that day. Enough to depress anyone... An oriental girl and i'm talkng a real knockout, sat down awhile later. She bought in for hundreds, played at least $125 a hand. After she left, there were a few comments i overheard around the table; she had won. If you think anybody misses anything at the tables folks, think again.<br><br>I always try to sit at the first seat or the sixth seat. I smoke, always have a bottle of water and usually a beer Meaning, that if the casino dosen't have draft beer, that's a bottle AND a glass. So, that's an ashtray, a bottle of water, a bottle of beer and a glass of beer. It gets in the way, so i try to stay out of the way. If someone wrote a trip report and described me at a table, it would be probably, "the guy with all the stuff" ... maybe that would be the only nicest thing they could think of :-) $10 a hand, about three hours, lost $75, down $135 for the day.<br><br><br>No, it dosen't have the excitement and character,<br>of the "floor of the New York Stock Exchange during a rally" chaos, that the great Stardust Spots Book has,<br>but the Bellagio Sports Book, as you would expect, oozes comfort and interest. Like Jerry Seinfeld said, when describing the success of Star Trek, -what could be better than sitting in a comfortable swivel chair, barreling through space, watching Monday Night Football on a BIG screen. I don't think he said Monday Night Football, but you get the drift. <br><br>I got to the Bellago Sports Book/Bar at exactly 6pm Vegas time. I wasn't confident, i was gloating, i was cocky, i had a warm feeling of assertive arrogance; that Payton and Edgerrin James would make the Steelers feel they got off easy with their championship rematch loss to the Patriots earlier this year.<br><br>What a disaster. If anybody is even casually familiar with football fandom, they don't need me to tell them what Steeler fans are like. Well, they were all there at the Bellagio Sports Book, it was painful. Payton manning threw a touchdown pass, or maybe it was just a big gain, i don't remember, the sea of Steeler fan tables was silent, i yelled out, "ya!, get im!, PAYTON!".<br>It echoed in the Sports Book, throughout the Sports Bar, like a night watchman stepping on a rusty nail in the Louvre. <br><br>On the way out of the Bellagio, i stopped and saw it again, this time at night, the Bellagio Fountains.<br><br>I went back over the walkway and down to the street plaza. Bally's is there, the Paris at night, Eiffel Tower lighted, hundreds of feet high into the desert sky.<br><br>Walking the Strip from the Barbary Coast North is a real trip. It adds another dimension to the already endless variety of Vegas. It's a people watching crossroads. It's the one place in Vegas you wouldn't be altogether suprised to run into someone you know. It's high energy with purpose, a canival atmosphere with gambling, wide entrances to the casinos, right off the sidewalk, on your other side, "deer caught in the headlights" looks from people slowly passing in the hectic traffic of Las Vegas Boulevard. <br><br>Harrah's, The Flamingo, the Imperial Palace, Casino Royale, the Venetian, the thunder of the Volcano at the Mirage, the booming resonating basso of the the Pirate Battle at Treasure island. Like being a kid and the band, the drums, the horns, uniforms with vibrant colors, all starts up, JUST when it gets to you and keeps on going, VEGAS!! BABY!!<br><br>I hadn't been to the MGM, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay or the Tropicana this trip. There's certain places i keep going back to, New York/New York is one of them.<br><br>I had a fried chicken attack. I went to the Kentucky Fried Chicken type chicken place that i knew was somewhere in the "streets of New York".<br>It was closed, but there was no apparent reason for it in prime time at night. The cook must've called in sick or something, that's all that i could come up with. I got a meatball sub at one of the pizza places, it was excellent.<br><br>Coyote Ugly, located upstairs at New York/New York had a $10 cover charge. A cover charge on a Monday night, plus the reviews of the club and knowing it would have performing bartenders and a faux party atmosphere, didn't appeal to me, across the board. I didn't go in.<br>However, for free, i probably would have given it a look at least.<br><br>I went back down to the casino on the escalator, walked by and looked in at, the bar with the dueling pianos, around ESPN-Zone bar and started in on some Pai Gow in the Dragon Pit. <br><br>There was a guy at the table who seemed to be a highroller considering the attention the pit boss was giving him. Although, he wasn't betting heavily at the time. He was interested in where to get the best prime rib in town and the pit boss, who seemed to know him, was helping out in this regard with suggestions; in a manner that i instinctively knew was reserved for VIPs/highrollers. $10 a hand, won $45, down $90 for the day.<br><br>I felt pretty good after a small win with the streak still going when i got up. I had that feeling you get that the bad streak was fading and on the next trip you'll be golden.<br> <br>I'm Irish, i like beer, a lot. This was a great time to have a few at a lounge bar, watch a dynamic band and talk to whatever else comes along, oink!<br><br>"The Big Apple Bar" is a lounge, open to and elevated from, the casino floor. It has a big elevated stage, the bar right below it and tables ringing the outer perimeter. The band was very good, but i didn't catch the name. It's free like almost all lounge entertainment in Vegas. Just walk right in, it's great.<br><br>I'm not big on souvenirs. Matchbooks are the only thing i take back. In the desk draw in the room at the Orleans, what i thought was a huge matchbook and was going to throw in the carry on, turned out to be a sewing kit. So, if you have an energency hole n your sock while at the Orleans, there ya go. Matt and Stinky at cheapovegas.com may be glad to hear this.<br><br>I wrapped up another great night in Vegas by breaking even at $5 a hand Pai Gow back at the Orleans, getting a sub at Subway, bringing it up to the room and fooling around with a WebTV like keyboard internet access setup on the TV in the room. I think it was $6 for two hours.<br>Lost $90 for the day.
