Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Getting ready for the Chateau de Noix meet-up, I found out it was cheaper to fly from Nashville to Las Vegas to Seattle than it was to just fly Nashville to Seattle.
A lot cheaper.
$250 cheaper.
I'd like to say we would just land, change planes, then complete the journey. But I'd be lying - unless they opened a cardroom in the airport. That would be awesome... except that we all know it would have a 50% rake with no top-out.
However, there are card rooms in Vegas with more reasonable rakes. A quick online check finds a room at the Plaza for $25 a night. There is also a $25 a night "resort fee". I guess I'm going to pay that 50% rake anyway. Even so, with taxes added in, it will cost $167 to stay 3 nights in Vegas. A $83 savings. Now to convince @Mrs Poker Zombie . I'm going to need a spreadsheet, key talking points, and some fall-back compromises. Maybe offer to do the dishes for a week. I wonder if a PowerPoint presentation is going too far.
Me: "You want to go to Vegas on the way to Seattle?"
Mrs Z: "Yep"
That was easy. Mrs Zombie is awesome. Besides we all know I wasn't really going to do the dishes.
Flight in, the obligatory Airplane table shots:
The table always catches the attention of the flight crew. Shaking a martini in a cocktail shaker turns everyone's head. It's like a cat hearing a can opener. The look, then the look of disappointment when they know it's not for them. Hopefully none of them come over to shed on my table.
We land at the airport, grab out bags and head to the car. Nothing against Uber, but it costs $42. A limo costs $158. I'm already saving $83, so that's only $75 more than flying directly to Seattle, and Southwest doesn't offer a bottle of champagne.
After checking in we slip the check-in girl $20. We get a room. Was it an upgrade? Hard to say. It's a room valued at $25. It has a great view, so there's that. It's also pretty spacious. I could set up a poker table in here. How do they do it for $25? They rob Peter to pay Paul. Or in this case, they rob John. The bathroom is tiny. Like, bedbugs wont fit in here tiny. It's so small that the door only opens about a foot.
Not kidding.
You can put a little shoulder into the door to get in the rest of the way, but you will meet resistance.
What is the appropriate tip to leave the maid when you decide to poop in the sink?
After checking in, we head out for dinner. About a block off the end of Freemont we find Flock and Fowl... and it's happy hour. We sit at the bar and chat with the bartender. He's drinking bourbon. We're having wine, and the pours are generous. Food was beyond outstanding. This place has been nominated for a James Beard award for the Best Chef (West). Only 27 chefs in the country are semi-finalists, including famed chef José Andrés. We had a tough time finding the entrance, walking completely around the building. If they win, it will be much easier to find. The lines will be completely around the building.
Obligatory food pr0n for @detroitdad:
A stroll back up Freemont, where the crazies now have circles painted on the ground that they must stay in. I think other cities should paint circles for crazy people. They are oddly effective, and when you sneak a shot, they can't chase you down... because, circles.
And yeah, we did sneak a shot. Note the pissed look on the girl that sees what we're doing, but can't leave her circle of doom.
Onto Binions for some more cards.
The game is small, security gets called when someone threatened to take someone outside to fight, but the guy is a regular and gets calmed down. I'm not a poker genius, but I'm guessing he plays super-aggressive. I was right, but to no avail when his K-10 off-suit hits after we go all-in.
We stop off at Pop-Up Pizza for a quick slice before bed. This place in the Plaza is pretty good. Not Brooklyn good (@gopherblue ), but when a slice is good enough to warrant the New York comparison, it's better than your average pie.
Then it was off to bed. Good Night Vegas. You won the pokers this time, but I'm not done yet. I have to get used to donking off money. The Meet-up is just 3 days away.
A lot cheaper.
$250 cheaper.
I'd like to say we would just land, change planes, then complete the journey. But I'd be lying - unless they opened a cardroom in the airport. That would be awesome... except that we all know it would have a 50% rake with no top-out.
However, there are card rooms in Vegas with more reasonable rakes. A quick online check finds a room at the Plaza for $25 a night. There is also a $25 a night "resort fee". I guess I'm going to pay that 50% rake anyway. Even so, with taxes added in, it will cost $167 to stay 3 nights in Vegas. A $83 savings. Now to convince @Mrs Poker Zombie . I'm going to need a spreadsheet, key talking points, and some fall-back compromises. Maybe offer to do the dishes for a week. I wonder if a PowerPoint presentation is going too far.
Me: "You want to go to Vegas on the way to Seattle?"
Mrs Z: "Yep"
That was easy. Mrs Zombie is awesome. Besides we all know I wasn't really going to do the dishes.
Flight in, the obligatory Airplane table shots:
The table always catches the attention of the flight crew. Shaking a martini in a cocktail shaker turns everyone's head. It's like a cat hearing a can opener. The look, then the look of disappointment when they know it's not for them. Hopefully none of them come over to shed on my table.
We land at the airport, grab out bags and head to the car. Nothing against Uber, but it costs $42. A limo costs $158. I'm already saving $83, so that's only $75 more than flying directly to Seattle, and Southwest doesn't offer a bottle of champagne.
After checking in we slip the check-in girl $20. We get a room. Was it an upgrade? Hard to say. It's a room valued at $25. It has a great view, so there's that. It's also pretty spacious. I could set up a poker table in here. How do they do it for $25? They rob Peter to pay Paul. Or in this case, they rob John. The bathroom is tiny. Like, bedbugs wont fit in here tiny. It's so small that the door only opens about a foot.
Not kidding.
You can put a little shoulder into the door to get in the rest of the way, but you will meet resistance.
What is the appropriate tip to leave the maid when you decide to poop in the sink?
After checking in, we head out for dinner. About a block off the end of Freemont we find Flock and Fowl... and it's happy hour. We sit at the bar and chat with the bartender. He's drinking bourbon. We're having wine, and the pours are generous. Food was beyond outstanding. This place has been nominated for a James Beard award for the Best Chef (West). Only 27 chefs in the country are semi-finalists, including famed chef José Andrés. We had a tough time finding the entrance, walking completely around the building. If they win, it will be much easier to find. The lines will be completely around the building.
Obligatory food pr0n for @detroitdad:
A stroll back up Freemont, where the crazies now have circles painted on the ground that they must stay in. I think other cities should paint circles for crazy people. They are oddly effective, and when you sneak a shot, they can't chase you down... because, circles.
And yeah, we did sneak a shot. Note the pissed look on the girl that sees what we're doing, but can't leave her circle of doom.
Onto Binions for some more cards.
The game is small, security gets called when someone threatened to take someone outside to fight, but the guy is a regular and gets calmed down. I'm not a poker genius, but I'm guessing he plays super-aggressive. I was right, but to no avail when his K-10 off-suit hits after we go all-in.
We stop off at Pop-Up Pizza for a quick slice before bed. This place in the Plaza is pretty good. Not Brooklyn good (@gopherblue ), but when a slice is good enough to warrant the New York comparison, it's better than your average pie.
Then it was off to bed. Good Night Vegas. You won the pokers this time, but I'm not done yet. I have to get used to donking off money. The Meet-up is just 3 days away.
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