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Starting off my Christmas vacation today, I had a wet dream.
Only it wasn't wet and I woke up before any clothing damage could be done.
In the dream I was at a Vegas-style nightclub.
I had to go to the bathroom, and entering the men's restroom, there were holograms of live women in sexy poses displayed on the stall doors.
As you approached the stall door, the woman would react, telling you whether the stall was free. She'd be standoffish if occupied or beckon with her index finger if unoccupied.
All the stalls were taken, so I left and ran into a girl who was standing on her hands. Yet she had another head below her.
Sort of like being a Siamese twin, with her twin head being upside-down and attached to her knees.
We began kissing, and I felt her exploring "down there," then suddenly I felt some not unpleasurable warmth and moisture around my private parts.
It was her second head.
So I was kissing and getting head (from a second head) from the same girl at the same time.
It's been awhile since I've had any strange dreams, much less sexual dreams. Perhaps it was from the chicken wings, gingerbread yogurt, and box of Wheat Thins I ate last night.
Nevertheless, a good start to the holiday break.
— —
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
UltimateBet took back my car
The Sapphire Gentlemen's Club has their 7th anniversary tomorrow night (free food and drinks from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.)… which is when I would've been getting into town for the blogger tourney. Damn.
I'm sad that I won't be able to go -- I actually held off cancelling my room (and tickets to Ronn Lucas, which I was using as my bounty prize) in case I could win enough to justify going. Chicago is under its first bad winter storm with wind chill at 20 below, and the desire to flee (to, uh, 38 degree weather in Vegas) has never been stronger. But it isn't to be.
Changing the flight was easy. As for the hotel...
Harrah's: For further assistance, please say one of the following: change reservation, cancel reservation, get rates --
grubby: Cancel.
Harrah's: Sorry, I didn't understand your response. If you are a member of our Total Rewards players club, please say yes. If you are not a member, please say no.
grubby: Cancel.
Harrah's: Sorry, I didn't understand your response. If you are calling to change an existing reservation --
grubby: Cancel.
Later, after speaking with two hosts to cancel the room plus the tickets…
Harrah's: You do know that there's a 72-hour cancellation policy.
grubby: I just stayed at your casino last week and lost my soul.
Fortunately, they didn't hold me to their policy, which would've come off my Total Rewards points.
* * *
Thanks to BadBlood, Falstaff, Waffles, Dave R., and SheetWise for offering sympathy about my situation.
SheetWise recollected a touching story about his uncle who hit bottom and then kept a promise to only gamble 10 percent of his salary.
That's the foundation of maintaining a bankroll, which I need to stop ignoring if I want to stop going bust.
I redeposited to Full Tilt and have been doing okay the past week, not risking more than 10 percent at a time. I'm setting a stop limit -- win or lose, once I hit my Iron Man for the day, I'll stop. I'm also focusing on sit-n-gos and staying away from cash games. Now if I have a bad streak, I'll move down in SnG levels rather than tilt away in 8/16 6max like usual.
That's not to say I've been successful staying away from online gambling. I played over the weekend and also last night when I received a 25 percent bonus on the loss. They have a poker site, so the +EV play is to use the bonus to my advantage and just play poker. Whenever I deposit and win, I'll cash out. Whenever I deposit and lose, I'll just wait for the bonus and then play with that. I could just do multi-tournaments at a significant discount.
Then today I received this email from UltimateBet about my cashout (the one that paid for my rental car for 2 weeks):
Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing UB.
This email is to expaling you that your check for $442 tr id 18779916 processed on 11/09/2009, was canceled. Please accept our sincere apologies about this situation. This problem was provoked by the closing of one of our provider’s accounts and we still do not have the specific reason why it happened. We are no longer using that payment method and are working hard to reissue all payout requests and cover fees incurred due to this issue.
The funds, as you may already know, have been returned to your account including the fee you initially had to pay for the payout.
In case you already cashed the check, we will gladly reimburse you for any overdraft fee you were charged for this matter, provided you show us where the amount is shown on your bank statement.
We do not doubt your honesty, but we do need to see the charges on your statement before we can proceed with the request.
Etc., etc.
Figures.
Before I finish reading the email, I find myself re-installing UB, see the $450, and instead of cashing out again, I play blackjack and lose it all.
Frustrated, I deposit to another site, play blackjack, and surprisingly run it up to +$1300 (including $200 lost on slots). This covers the $450 from UB as well as what I lost over the weekend.
I then almost put a bet down on Pacquiao (even money against Mayweather) but take it back because my 25 percent bonus on losses ends in February, and the fight if it happens would be after.
I cashout.
Clearly trying to quit on my own is proving to be a struggle.
— —
Friday, December 04, 2009
Consequences
The word "addiction" is tossed around lightly in society -- I'm addicted to chocolate, might as well face it I'm addicted to love, I'm so addicted to the things you do.
But true addiction is continual use in the face of negative consequences, mainly when that use begins to affect work, health, relationships, or finances.
For some, that's Bejeweled Blitz and its constant Facebook status updates that cause all your FB friends to either unfriend you or stage a mini-intervention.
In my case, my addiction is whenever gambling, and the effect is all of the above with the exception of maybe work, where it ironically helps.
As soon as I start gambling, I can't stop, I have no control. Playing slots, in my head I'll make mental notes that I'll cash out when I get to a certain point (when I'm down or up to this amount or when I hit the next bonus or when I get my drink or when it's this or that time), then when I get there I'll renegotiate with myself, and this inner exchange goes on until I'm down to nothing. No matter how much I win I will give it all back as well as whatever's in my pockets, including ATM withdrawals and credit card cash advances. I would pawn or eBay something if I had anything of value.
I've mentioned stories of when grubette and I would first visit Atlantic City when slots accepted coins, and I'd put my last nickels into the machine before boarding the shuttle bus back to D.C.
I have this need for action, it isn't about winning for me (if it were about winning, I wouldn't play the worst game in the casino or I'd at least only be playing Mega Millions for a chance at something big). Losing to me is just as strong an emotion. I relish stories of other people winning just the same as I regale in my own losing stories -- it becomes a contest how much you've lost just as much as how much you've won. Dropping a few nickels into those slots wouldn't have won any jackpots, but ridding myself of all my money signaled that I could finally stop and go home.
Every single ad that appeared on the left column of this blog was paid for via transfer to my casino or poker account, and every bit of that was gambled away at their casino.
I've gambled away entire paychecks in one sitting. If I get a reimbursement check, I spend that too. My car was totalled a few years ago, and the insurance check I received went entirely to online blackjack. I never replaced the car.
In Las Vegas, I took a friend to the bank so he could withdraw $2500 and I could borrow it.
I often kid about the tolls of gambling and being unable to stop until losing everything, but unfortunately all of that is too true and is fast catching up with me.
So this gambling "habit" of mine comes with consequences, and one of those is that for the first time, I am going to have to skip this year's WPBT event next week.
For my own health and well-being, not to mention bank account, I can't go back to Las Vegas for awhile.
I've actually already paid for everything and the rooms and food are free, but I know the cost to change the flight will be far less than what I will end up losing while there. And I can use that flight for something else.
AlCantHang mentioned meeting at Lagasse's Stadium (the snazzy lounge-turned-sportsbook with patio inside The Palazzo), and for those going Friday, Dec. 11 from 7-9 p.m., here's an offer to get free Ambhar Tequila and Bud Light Golden Wheat, plus half off appetizers, all for watching basketball and not having to gamble a cent.
Not much more to say about how far I've fallen because it's still too fresh. Only now am I dealing with the repercussions of what I did while in Vegas. Maybe one day I'll be able to post all the gory details.
I'll miss you guys, but grubette will represent.
— —
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Las Vegas by the numbers
I lost more than I can count or want to admit in Las Vegas so I thought I'd let these other unique numbers add for themselves. They're in chronological order of the whole trip.
15 number of days spent in Las Vegas
16 number of casinos where I played slots
0 number of casinos where I played poker
3700 total big win amount on slot machines ($900 Wizard of OZ -- Glinda the Good Witch; $800 Wizard of OZ -- Follow the Yellow Brick Road; $300 China Mystery; $800 Airplane!; $400 Cashman Tonight -- Lucky Miner; $500 Sun & Moon)... yet gave it all back plus more
9 number of trips to the bank and ATMs
5.99 ATM fee at Harrah's
4 number of deposits made to Full Tilt and Bodog
12.02 amount of money left in my savings account after transferring everything to checking so I could withdraw
23.24 percent APR interest being paid on credit card
200 dollar amount lost playing new Sex & the City slot machine, after triggering just one bonus
500 cost per bottle at the Moon nightclub at The Palms (not paid by me)
1.5 number of times a can't-remember-if-she-was-attractive girl grabbed my butt while dancing (obviously not this girl pictured)
428 dollar cost of rental car (unlimited mileage, so drove to and from California)
425 total slot freeplay redeemed at The Venetian, M Resort, Binion's, and Silverton
1000 dollars remaining in player points from Harrah's and Silverton, to be used for food and overpriced gifts
6 number of trips to Target and Las Vegas Outlet Mall for new clothes
400 dollar amount lost betting against Pacquiao (I'd do it again at those odds)
6794 slot tournament score in third and final session at The Venetian. Need at least 10,000 each session to cash.
20,000 first place prize for slot tournament
1 to 2 number of cents wagered by old woman on slot machine (1 line, 1 or 2 bets per line). She had her legs akimbo on either side of the Jackpot Party Progressive game and was having a good ol' time. Sure, they're penny slots, but she was risking strangulation by me sitting next to her.
44 number of minutes it took dealing with tech support to get wireless Internet working at Harrah's so that I could play my Full Tilt freeroll
2.5 number of minutes it took to bust out of freeroll (my QQ vs. his 10-10)
30,000 number of Grazie points required per year ($30,000 playthrough) to achieve or maintain Gold stats at The Venetian/Palazzo
24,000 number of Grazie points earned this trip to get Gold
75 lowest legal percentage payback allowed on a Nevada slot machine (meaning on average you get back 75 cents on the dollar)
11,000 number of Total Reward points required per year ($55,000 playthrough) to achieve or maintain Diamond status at Harrah's
3300 number of Total Rewards points a friend accumulated on my card in 2 days so that I could maintain Diamond for another year
200 dollar amount in a Full Tilt transfer of what I owe my friend, since I challenged that he wouldn't be able to do it
800 dollar amount of what I borrowed from the same friend
35 dollar wager made by same friend on one spin of Star Trek game in Venetian's high-limit area. If only a Win Warp came.
1100 number of Total Rewards points I needlessly added on top of the 11,000 even though I'm already Diamond
10 number of people squeezed into free stripper shuttle to Cheetah's
20 number of lapdances received from a Colombian stripper at Cheetah's
5000 dollar amount a friend paid for entertainment at Cheetah's
14 cost of Captain & Coke at Club Paradise
7.99 new price of 8 oz. sirloin steak at Ellis Island, still a good 24-hour deal that includes beans, baked potato, soup, and beer or root beer
5 number of free buffets consumed at M Resort (400-600 points earned for each, and keep the points)
3 at M Buffet, number of trips made for steamed crab legs (so good)
17 average number of minutes spent in bathroom afterwards (mostly because of my lactose intolerance of ice cream)
50 food comp dollar amount received at M Resort. But having received those buffets for free, the food comp was left to splurge on these items from the mini-bar.
320 amount in slot machine when Cashman Tonight triggered and then crashed (bad Aristocrat). When it came back up, won $6 in the bonus and then lost the $320.
2012 movie watched at Red Rock when out of money (in the mood for disaster movie to match finances)
4.5 number of driving hours to California to visit mamagrub, grubette, and other family
12 number of people at the dinner table for Thanksgiving
167 dollar amount bet on one online blackjack wager, showing my cousin how not to play
3.25 number of stuffed animal penguins at mamagrub's house that were taken and ravaged by dogs from family (mamagrub had never had any animals in the house before)
30 minimum number of status updates on grubette's Facebook wall that she deleted stating she's playing Bejeweled Blitz
2 number of "free" sweatshirts received at Silverton for earning 500 points per day
6700 number of needlessly earned points above the 500
1 sweatshirt not received because a gaming day does not begin until 2 a.m., which is not listed in their fine print
1.50 unbelievably low price for a big bag of gummi bars from the Silverton mini-bar
7.45 unbelievably low price for a dinner buffet at Silverton (2-for-1 or 50 percent off between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.)
25 percent charged instantly when taking out a payday loan. I didn't, though I checked into it.
281 number of text messages sent/received over my normal 200 limit while in Las Vegas (at 5 cents each, still less than $40 extra per month)
42 cost of cab ride from airport to home in no traffic, worth it considering it's basically a blackjack wager
38 number of free hotel room offers received in the mail when returning home
11 number of days until annual WPBT blogger tournament in Las Vegas (not sure if I'll be able to make it, have you been reading this?)
6/1/10 new date to wait for UIGEA to be enforced (which means more money to be lost online)
33 number of ants killed on Post-Its in my cube on first day back at work
31 number of minutes trying to format this into an HTML table before giving up
— —
Friday, November 27, 2009
Betting your life on a coin flip
I've hit several types of rock bottom, all to do with gambling.
Now I've gambled away my life.
When I lived in Las Vegas, betting was the norm. Pauly and I made prop bets all the time: the color of the flop, the outcome of the old Excalibur poker wheel, what kind of car the waitress drove (and if we both lost, the money added to her tip).
In Key West and Chicago, I've made props with Donkey Puncher: who would be the first poker blogger to get up out of their armchair (all were asleep watching football), the over/under on number of tattoos on the waitress, how long it would take Bobby Bracelet to spend in the bathroom.
These were all small bets -- prop = fun.
Not until getting to Chicago did the bets get larger. Friends and I will wager 50-50 bets on games, typically going double-or-nothing until the loser cries uncle. I've lost half my paycheck on these games.
Now we flip coins for meals. After continually losing these things (how can I expect to win an even 50-50 bet if I can't win in poker when I'm an 80-20 favorite?), one friend proposed a new bet.
A single coin flip for $100 per paycheck for life.
I refused, then he dropped the period to 1 year.
I again refused but countered with a coin flip to get on the other's company life insurance policy as sole beneficiary.
At work, our life insurance is twice our annual salary.
We're both single with no kids, so true heirs are irrelevant, at least to me. I'll be dead anyway, so life insurance to me is meaningless.
It does, however, affect grubette and mamagrub, who are my beneficiaries splitting evenly (along with the stipulation that they take the money to Vegas and gamble 10 percent of it).
My friend agreed to the terms but dropped to 25 percent of the other's life insurance for a period of 5 years. And if either leaves the company for whatever reason, the agreement is nulled.
We were at a Chinese restaurant, already flipping the quarter for other things and generally making a lot of noise.
The quarter was flipped one more time, and I called heads.
Tails.
I called HR and had the papers drawn up.
Sorry, grubette and mamagrub, you're now splitting 75 percent in case you're wondering who the strange man is at the will reading and next to you at the blackjack table.
And now, at least for the next 5 years (which I've been given anywhere from 50:1 to 200:1 chances of dying naturally), I'll be watching my back.
— —
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Don't wear white at a strip club
"Hello, Papi," the girl from Colombia said as she thrust her pelvis into me. From 0 to 2 seconds was all it took. An instant turn-on.
I didn't leave her side until 20 dances later.
The ride to Cheetah's came courtesy of their free shuttle bus stuffed with 10 people. You can call the club and arrange free pickup, which conveniently also comps each passenger his entry fee. This is especially appreciated by me, who no longer possesses a free stripper card (a.k.a. Nevada driver's license that gets locals into any Vegas strip club for free). You can also get any cabbie to take you to any club for free, as they get kickbacks per person brought to the club (when stepping into the cab, say "Can you take us to XXX for free?" and step out if they say no). But while your cab fare is free, you may still be obligated to pay the admission fee anywhere from $10 to $30.
Cheetah's is my favorite gentlemen's club in Las Vegas (Spearmint Rhino is my favorite when doing The Procedure with Pauly and BadBlood). Girls at Cheetah's don't seem especially in a hurry (though for girls in even less of a hurry and maybe lacking ambition, check out Seamless). They won't be the girl next door type (Little Darlings) or the ballroom gown type (Scores/Rick's) but they're more down to earth and fun than any other club I've been to. And heck, it was featured in the movie Showgirls. Even after some stripper stole my rental car keys on July 4th, I still go back.
I have Cheetah's numbers programmed into my iPhone -- (702) 384-0074 and the shuttle driver at (702) 427-9996. If you have a group of at least 5, they're happy to pick up your group for a private ride. If less, they'll pick you up and then make other stops to fill the shuttle.
Last time I rode the Cheetah's bus, I had just ordered nachos and potato skins when they arrived earlier than expected. Eating them in the stripper mobile is a bit uncouth, made more so when I jokingly offered it to the driver as a tip.
One of our group hit two royals that day and as soon as each of our group had girls on our laps, he splurged for the first round of dances. He blew through all of one of the royal money that night.
The girl who called me Papi also called me by my real name. She remembered the last time I was there, when I went into the back room with her (one of many times over the past 3 years). I normally give a fake name (Steve, now Von) and fake profession (inflate tires on UPS trucks, tour with Cirque du Soleil, produce adult films) but somehow I was truthful with her.
Before I could grab a seat or drink with my friends, she led me to a dark but comfortable corner.
There are some girls where you appreciate the flirty conversation beforehand, there are others where you just want them to get down to business.
She was in the latter.
And she wasn't initially attractive either. She isn't the type to be given double-takes. The first time she approached me a few years ago, I said no. Calling people "papi" isn't the best bedroom talk. But boy does she make up for it.
Immediately picking up where she left off on my last visit (where the bouncer kept coming in saying that I couldn't do what I was doing), on the third song she unzipped my pants, gently shoved her hand down, and began taking liberties I didn't mind her taking. Her scraggly hair covered what she was doing, and her eyes darted around making sure no one was watching.
A true professional.
A friend who spent a couple thousand dollars in the G Spot private room said that was more than he got.
I made a mental note to next time wear dark underwear, because the white stands out in the blacklight lighting of the club.
Song 20 seemed a good a time to end as any, not to mention I was out of money (and seemingly also out a pants button).
She was off to Colombia for Thanksgiving but I promised I'd be back before then. Which I would have, had I not later lost all my strip club money on slot machines.
I did make a trip to the ATM which charged a $15 fee (the gougement is usually in the $25 range) and had two dances with a persistent Thai girl.
We talked green curry and other Thai dishes, and she was into making out (the Colombian girl wasn't). But when nibbling on her ear, she pulled away, slapped me, punched my crotch hard, then bit me on the cheek. And then said we were even.
I did it again just to get the same reaction.
Had a few other dances with other girls, but none compared to the Colombian, who later joined me and said that someone just had 12 dances with her and I still held the record. She needed a few more to make her nut for the evening, and I pointed her toward a couple prospects.
About 3 a.m., we abandoned a few of our men and took the shuttle bus back to the hotel for breakfast.
While eating, one said that he was off to Club Paradise and would text if it was good.
Which he did, and additionally said that there was no cover.
When a friend and I arrived, the place was completely empty except for a cocktail waitress. I've never cared for Club Paradise but thought it may have changed since Howard Stern started taking his radio show there (back in the terrestrial days).
I texted asking where he was, and out he came like Hugh Hefner, in his t-shirt and a girl from every nationality draped around him.
We joined him in his private room that contained a bar, and he left us with three girls as he took the best-looking one to an hourlong dance.
We sat over $14 drinks and girls who were a little worse for wear originally from Chicago.
My girl, Darien, claimed to be an ex-pornstar who was on the cover of Cherry magazine probably from the late '80s. Her body looked good but her face looked like it had danced with a truck. She had meth-looking crumbling teeth and a scrunched face. And this was in the dark.
I took out the last of my money -- three $20 bills.
"What can I get for this?" I said.
Darien took the money, folded it neatly into her purse, and said she'd give me a deal, which amounted to two dances that reminded me more of the typical dances from Chicago -- little contact.
In Darien's case, it was coupled by a kiss that tasted like cigarettes, Hennessy, and pineapple juice, and skin that felt like rubber bands. And porn talk in my ear that really has no place anywhere but in the actual bedroom.
I couldn't get into her as much as I tried, and was thankful when it was over. I figured the part when it ended was the deal.
We high-tailed it out of the club, leaving our one friend to fend for himself in his remaining 30-minute dance in the back corner.
Later we texted him, "Thanks for the scraps."
— —
Friday, November 13, 2009
Going to the casino to lose less
I haven't been to Harrah's Horseshoe this month, and I have a daily freeplay offer of at least $15 every day (can go up to $1000). Freeplay must be played through a slot machine once before cashing out -- which I've never done, by the way, as I will play freeplay until it's all gone… similar to the Bodog ads on this blog -- all revenue was deposited into my casino account, and I'd blow it all on blackjack. Freeplay is designed to get you in the door, the casino counting on the fact that the bells and whistles will lure you in to spend much more.
Well-intentioned me would go right before midnight, use one coupon, wait till midnight, then use the other, then go home. Or maybe play some poker while waiting for midnight to come around. (The casino has been open for 17 months and I've only played poker there once.)
Oh yeah, the casino is about 35 minutes away, and there's $6 roundtrip tolls.
Is it worth it? I have this struggle often.
How about free buffets in the Diamond Lounge and $15 in miscellaneous food from the deli? I've used the food comp on big cookies before. Somehow knowing that the $1.50 retail value of the cookies end up costing me $300 each makes them taste better.
How about the fact that I have to turn in the rental car tomorrow morning and I filled the tank when I only needed to fill it 3/4. That's free gas and mileage going to waste.
To sum up, that's $30, free buffet, $15 in cookies, and $6 tolls.
How much does the above need to be before you say yes (for me, the tipping point is the $15/day… $10 per day is a dealbreaker)? If you're normal in the head, you know this isn't worth the effort. Logically, I also know it.
But gambling ain't logical, and my twisted reasoning for going is to take advantage of the casino, to make them hurt. (Yeah, $30 will really make a dent in their profits, bad economy or not.)
A friend offered to buy up my freeplay coupons, paying me $30 a day not to gamble. He then offered $100 to not gamble this week.
I turned him down.
I didn't want his money, I wanted the casino's.
Better might be if we made a deal where I had to return his $30 and pay another $30 if I gambled that day.
I'd probably still do it.
Like in Michael Powell's The Red Shoes but substituting gambling for dancing, if you were to ask me what goes on in my head, "Why do you want to gamble?"
I'd respond, "Why do you want to live?"
I was debating whether to go, right up until 9:15 p.m., as 10 p.m. was the cutoff for the buffet. Then it would only be $30 freeplay and $15 cookies.
What probably saved me was mamagrub calling again to talk about another Vegas trip she just returned from.
A gambling story saved me from gambling.
But that's not entirely true, as I deposited $500 via my already hurting credit card, ran it up to $1402, and then lost it all, all in online blackjack.
Getting me out of the house and away from online gambling is a positive.
I wonder how many people view a casino's freeplay as losing less than sitting in front of the computer.