Day 1, Friday

Flight out of Chicago at 6PM. With Spirit Airlines in bankruptcy, I needed a new cheap option. Frontier Air it is! It was... not bad! New clean plane. Nice gate. We did get stuck on the runway for a good 45MINs, but that isn't on them.

I try to take Dad out on a trip once a year. Last year we did Atlantic City, the year before was Biloxi. Before that, Reno, before that AC, Vegas ETC

This go round, I wanted Dad to experience what it feels like to be a High Roller. Well, as close as I can get him anyway. 

We land just after 9PM. I tell Dad he gets to be "Mr. Grid" if anyone asks. That way, he is greeted at VIP, the Limo Driver shakes his hand and in other words. He gets to be the big shot. I do warn him, that the driver will grab for his bag. And he should let go when that happens. Dad likes to make things awkward! 

Limo driver was waiting at baggage claim. And the fucker doesn't ask to grab Dad's bag. Awkward! 

VIP Guest Services is waiting for us when we get out the limo. Always a classy touch. And Dad did feel like a VIP. Fontainebleau is all class. 

VIP check in goes as smooth as always. Room was ready, being 10PM I'd almost hope so. We grab some waters and cookies and head up to drop our bags. 

Fontainebleau was all booked up this weekend. The best my host can get us, is the Royal Suite. Its a nice room, with two separate rooms and baths. But only one real bed. VIP Dad gets that.

Me? I trade sleeping on this chair, for a rollaway bed. We get a nice view of the pool. Which is nearly eye level, as we are only on the 5th floor. 

Let's Get Vegasing! My money won't lose itself you know!

And... I fuck up already! The first 4 games I play I crap out on. $400 *poof*. I hoped to at least put in $5K of coin, being so late at night. But things are not going to plan. Dad is doing OK though. 

I have $950 in free play, and I convert $450 of that on video poker. And... It was a disaster again! $450 flipped to $305. I had $6.00 on my TITO already. Man, that is one shit pile of a conversion. Our boys trip is turning sour fast. This was not the trip I had played out in my head for the past 2 months since we booked it. 

Dad was holding his own still. Up a little, down a little. But me? Well, I was only down $100 thanks to that $450 in free play. 

Finally on the board with a $280 bonus game. And I am back to even!

I was too invested in the below.  That $205 bonus, was just all my money back. So still even.

I lost that entire $437 TITO chasing $5.00 Pinball. I know, I am an idiot. I only play $10 and up, when I am up. But with such a short gaming day like this, I was hoping for a miracle. So I am taking big swings. You get  ballsey, wen you have a full bankroll. 

And a miracle I got. 165 credits = $825! Back up for the trip! 

Dad agrees FB is the nicest place he has ever been too. Its a showstopper for sure

I slip my $880 TITO into Bull Blitz, and land an insane $864 bonus! Now I have a $1,663 ticket. Up $1,200, and we have only been playing for an hour. 

$150 on Cash Machine, and now I have a $1,755 TITO. Vegas is just shitting out money!

I am only playing this Nudging Slot next to Dad, so we can chat about his thoughts on the joint. And shit, look at that!

Line 5 = $259 progressive + Line 8 for $30 more. But the reels nudge up or down with these wilds. Next auto-spin...

Line 1 = $250 + Line 5 = $250 + Line 9 Top Progressive $5,685! I turn to Dad and say, that's $6 Grand! But it nudged once more!

Line 1 = $250 + Line 4 = $250 + Line 5 = $250 + Line 8 = $250 and, once again, Line 9 Max progressive, That I just rest. For $5,000 more!

When the smoke had settled, I just won $12,475.25! 

The biggest hit of my Life. It had been over a decade since I landed a $10,365 jackpot at the old Monte Carlo, which is now Park MGM. I was due for another 5 figure hit!

I ask for $475 in cash and a check for $12,000. I know I don't have room for all that cash on me. And I fear leaving it in the room. Safe or not.

 I ask Dad how much he was down, and he says a couple hundred. I hand him that and say not any more. Tip the slot dude who brought me my money. And realize I still have $1,556 in credit on the damn machine. From up to more up!

As if that heater wasn't enough. $825 on Pinball. $865 on Bull Blitz. $12,475 on Sapphire Riches and the very next game, I pick for a $585 Mega jackpot. Seriously, what the fuck is going on here? 2 hours ago I was still sitting on an airplane. An hour ago I was down a few hundred. My TITO is now up to $1,882

And I start crushing this Dragon game. Bouncing between $0.05, $0.10 and $1 denom. I win $598, $170 and $294. Now I have a check for $12K and a TITO for $2,700!

Which I did play down a little before hitting the below. 

Just over $15,000 in wins! Too late to text the wife what I just did. Being 2:30AM Chicago time. I worked this morning, so I have been up and at it since 6AM. I am beyond spent by now, and collapse onto my glorified cot. 

Point check, and I did 3873 Play Points. $2.50 coin-in = 1 point. So, $9,682.50 worth of action on night one. Man, I love Vegas!

Day 2, Saturday

As tired as I was, I couldn't sleep much. Just too excited replying the nights events. I still wake up at 5AM Vegas time, as my internal clock wont let me take a day off. 

By 6AM, I was wandering the empty casino pretty much all alone. 

I still have $500 in free play to convert. And this time, I don't fuck it up. I turn $500 into $515.

I ended up on the below, and picked the more volatile bonus with Max Wilds. It was the right choice. I was getting a bunch each spin, and ended up with a $612 bonus win. And a Ticket worth nearly a grand. Now, I am up over $16,000 for the trip. My. God. 

But I went slightly on tilt after that. I got some good play in, but nothing much to show for it. By the time I landed this $161 Minor below, that $1K TITO was nearly spent. 

Still all alone, I check my phone to see its almost 8AM by now. And after all that up and down, I was pretty much right back from where I started. 

I only had $100 left, before I got the below bonus. It has locking symbols that hold throughout the free spins. Which each door will only show the same symbol. And by spin 3, I already locked most of them. I ended up with 2 full screens of the best symbol. And a few muck spins of Jacks and Queens. 

And at the end of game 8, I won $816 to get me right back to my high water mark!

I text Dad that I will bring up some bagel sandwiches. And to make sure he throws some pants on. He likes to walk around with his cock hanging out for some reason. It is strange getting old. The man gives zero fucks by this stage in his life. 

I sit and watch the swimmers like a perv, while woofing down our bagels. I get one free fancy coffee a day from my Players card. VIP and all. I dont drink coffee, but Pops does. So we wait in line. 

Now we got the team back together, but the gambling is not going well. I am still pulling off some good hits, like the below $204 and $260. But the losses in between were a few hundred.

Same same. $290 and $192 isn't bad, But I am slowly bleeding money. Still well up! But not as up...

I gave back all the days wins, and was down to just $30 from my days up stash, and I banged out a great $575 line hit below. 10 X Red 7's. Back all the way up baby!

I played that $600 TITO down to $200, when I landed a bonus game on Grand Legends for $690. Now I am up even more.

What do you do when you are on a heater? Leave and head over to Circus Circus! Cause that is what Dad wants to do...

This lady below was playing on all 10 of these old coin droppers. Just popping in her coins, yanking the levers and moving to the next. We both lost here. I am embarrassed to say, I lost $300 in this shit hole. 

Over to Resorts World, where I have been stealing my free play and leaving for over a year now. My offers have come down some, but those dummies have yet to cut me off! 

I turn $225 in free play into $300 in real money. Not bad!

I also have $40 in dining credit and we grab some fish and chips. It was OK. For free, it was fantastic. 

They have a new player promo, and Dad got $25 in free play for signing up. We double up on his card, and I actually play a little here. I have nothing against their casino. Its great and very fair. Resorts World just fucks too much up to stay in my rotation. Plus, since I moved to FB across the street. I just have no use for them any more. 

I do bag a $100 hit on Hot Stuff, but on a $9.00 bet. $150 on Piggy Bankin. And Dad sat on this Disco game for a long time. We both leave here up. And I got my Circus Circus money back at least. 

Why does Dad have a Red Cape? Whose to say. He likes weird shit.

Back to Home base. 

I'd like to say I kept killing it here, but I wasn't. Our trip to the crappy Circus officially ended the heater. A few $225ish hits below, but I dropped a good $1,500 this round. 

We take a break and do the Hall of Excellence. Free, for a couple VIP's like us. 

I have a whole walk through review elsewhere on this shitty blog. So I wont repeat anything here. But it is fun for free. A good 30 minutes to see it all. Not a ton in here. For $35 a head, or whatever full price is. Is sort of a rip off. But finding anything to do in Vegas for under $50 these days is not easy. 

Back up to the room to hang a shit and reset our luck. And rethink our gambling strategy. 

Back at it, and it is just more of the same. Winning, but nothing really big. 

$6.00ish bets, and just $100-$200ish hits. Which is to be expected. Not throwing shade. But no more $500ish hits sprinkled in this time. 

We get cookies and drinks for the room in VIP, and head up for the night. Point check, and we did 8,971 play points. So another $22,427.50. That's some solid play! But it cost me almost $2,000 of my "Up" money. Still, I am well ahead of the game by now. Dad took a bit of a nut kick as well. But we logged plenty of play. 

Day 3, Sunday

Last day here at FB, and we pack up to head over to Vdara and start the MGM leg of our trip. Dad is a trooper and has been hanging in this whole time. But we are logging plenty of steps in. And being an old goat, I don't want to push him too far.

I have soured a bit on MGM lately. I still love their casinos, as it feels like Vegas. But my luck there just hasn't been very good. And certainly less so compared to places like Resorts World or here at FB when it comes to Vegas play.

I am sticking to my theory, that these remote casinos have to give you a better gamble to entice you to play away from the action. And they both do cater to locals as well. And those rubes can sniff out a shitty gamble. 

Per usual, I am up and playing while Pops is still sleeping. And I am holding my own. The below is the best of them. but I was down about $700 by the time Dad came down for breakfast.

Until I wasn't! $750 on this Cash Wheel, and I am right back to good. We shut down gambling here after this. The plan was to stay in the room until 1PM, as we had a late check out. But by 11AM, we were ready for a change. 

1549 more points this morning, only $3,872.50 of coin. But on a check out day, that's not bad. I flip the last of my point play and we racked up $143 from our $35,757.50 played through. 

Can't forget that free coffee! Even if the line at Chez Bob Bon is out the door. 

I leave FB with 100% of my bankroll in tact, $1,000 in found cash and a fat check for $12K. Sure, I am $4K off of where I was after the first night. But Vegas happens. 

Cab over to Vdara, and the room was not ready. As expected. 

We walked over to Aria next door, and I flipped my free play. $575 turned into $500ish of real money. But it did not last long here. We were both kinda in a funk. 

This first game below, was one coin away from 3 different row wins. $12.50 a spin, but as long as I got one of them I would be in good shape. I got none. 

$175 on Dragon game 1 was OK. $212 on Dragon game 2 was better.

It was up and down for the most part. I was finally treading water, but not getting ahead. I lost like $800. Even though I took some big swings.

Awesome giant Dragon in in the Aria lobby. So there is that.

We end up walking next door to Park MGM. I drop $200 in their high limit room, with nothing to show for it.

But do smash a great $2 Denom Pinball on the main floor for $280. Played that up and down a bit until I got a $165 bonus on the Green Machine. 

I leave Park MGM up maybe a hundo. But still down with MGM overall thanks to Aria. We hop the free tram over to Bellagio, as the damn room still isn't ready by 2PM

Bellagio was in shambles. We caught them in between displays. Out with whatever the fuck all this was. And in with some Horses I assume, as that is the Chinese New Year animal for 2026

New to me at least. They expanded their way too small newly renovated High Limit room. By building a little dog park area with these pony walls. Just like this guy below, people were bellying up to these walls and watching the whales play. Kinda like a High Limit zoo of sorts. 

First game here, $250 win on Top Dollar. $10 a spin, I expect better. But after getting an offer for $125, I jumped at $250. The line on these games is 40 credits, Anything at or above, is the right "accept". This was 50 credits, and I stick to my rules. 

I saw this older Wheel of Fortune had a higher win stacked up. So I plucked it for $140.

And we grabbed some snacks, from a place called Snacks. They are the only place for cheap eats here. I have plenty of comp money to burn with MGM. I keep getting hundreds in free food credit. So I never have to use my points, and they just stock pile. 

I thought for sure I had a handpay brewing with the above. It is a hard bonus to get, and even though I was only betting $5.00 a spin. I kept retriggering spins, and ended up with 19 of them! But it was only good for a $220 win. 

Below kept the part going, and I was slowly winning here. I got back some of my Aria losses, as I was sitting on a TITO worth $675 by now. 

But I flew too close to the sun, and pissed that away. I left here down another $500. And still down $800 from earlier. So -$1,300 already. 

Finally get the call that our room is ready, at 4PM. We see the fire horses they are about to set up at Bellagio parked behind some dumpsters at Vdara.

Two Bedroom Penthouse

Spacious luxury is the best way to describe the Two Bedroom Penthouse. With 1,316 square feet, this suite has two full master bedrooms with custom pillow-top mattresses, plush robes in separate spa-style bathrooms and a full kitchen and living room. Whether you are coming to The Strip to experience the excitement and entertainment or relax and unwind, your accommodations at Vdara are designed to fulfill your every desire.

No cot for me!

The plan for tonight, is to cab it over to the Rio. I have $50 to eat with there, and $300 in free play. My new host even tossed us a couple of show tickets, as I haven't been back in here a couple year. At least he is trying. 

I turn their $300 into $495! Rio Video Poker is on point. 

But I fuck that all up. Everything I touch here turns to shit. And to be honest, they really do not have much I want to play. They gutted most all of the slots in the Mascarade Village and replaced it, with seating? 

I lost wayyyy too much money on the below games. When I finally got the bonus on King of Cash, it was only good for $65 on my $3.00 bet. But I was at least $200 into it. Dropped $200 on Top Dollar. Another $300 on this stupid Instant Spin. When I finally got the wheel spin, it was 2 spins of $20 each. The worse you can do. 

All in all, I lost the $500 I converted plus another $500 of my money. Total shit show. And we only did like $3500 of coin with all that. 

But, the WOW! show was good as always. Its the 3rd time I have seen it, over the past 3 years. And its basically the same show. Being a variety show, they have the option to swap acts and keep it fresh. But they really don't. Dad loved it, so there is that. It is a good show for the money. And for free? Even better. We had front row seats, VIP and all...

Cab back home, and I lost $2,000 today. The pisser is, no big wins. Nothing over $300 at all. I will have to do the math, as I am sure my Big Hit Ratio at FB and Resorts World is pretty high. Well, high compared to MGM joints. Stay tuned for that.

All in, only $8K of coin in with MGM + $3500 at Rio. So the losses were somewhat within expectations. But still sting

Day 4, Monday

Last full day in Vegas. And we have nothing on the agenda from here out. Just gamble! 

We still have plenty to chew through with our resort credit. Room Service it is! $100 for some eggs and meats? That is Vegas for ya

Morning view of the mountains, and a couple tins of food. "Bread Service" was 3 pieces of toast, and 2 pads of butter. Total rip off. $12 for bacon, was 4 shriveled strips. The food was fine, and we ate it all. But man, what a fucking rip off. 

Vdara is now connected directly in to Cosmo or Bellagio. Today, we swing left and head into Cosmo. A place I used to love, but MGM has completely shitted on it. 

And that was Cosmo. No wins, no pictures and I lost $1,000 here. Nothing to show for it either. Waste of time. 

Through Crystals and out and over to New York New York. 

Dad needs his coffee and with MGM, you can charge food from anywhere in the MGM World back to your hotel, to use your Resort Credit. I got this awesome churro milk shake. No wife, no worries! I can slowly kill myself on Dad's watch. Even when I was a kid, he didn't give a shit what I ate. 

It did not go as planned. $106 line hit below, and I did have a bonus on a $10 bet! But, being MGM, it was only worth $26. Not a typo. I got fucked. Which has been the story line since we got checked in at Vdara. I play the right games, and make the right bets. But the payouts are such shit. 

Like this. $6.00 bet, and a bonus that should have been $250ish was half that. I think they are pandering to their shareholders too much. Resort fees, higher slot holds, added services charges ETC. It is taking away from the guest experience too much. 

I did pull off a $200 win on this old classic. So not a total failure. 

And got slapped in the face in High Limit on $5 Top Dollar. $10 bet, $75 win. Just pitiful. That is MGM in a nutshell. I lose here as well, just not too much. Unlike at Cosmo.

The old Tropicana seems to have some construction going on. Even though most reports on the new A's ballpark point towards them not having the money to actually build it. We shall see.

The bridge over to MGM is covered in fake Showgirls hustling for money. I watched them work their act on some poor slob. They take a pic with you, and shake you down for money for the privilege. He agreed to $10 for the photo. Went to pay, and one of them insisted it was $10 each. Fucking scammers.

Here they are trying to sucker in Dad!

MGM Grand gambling was OK. We came here just to play these day one slots from the 90's, Majestic Lions. I won $200 and overall did OK. I played a triple pop aliens game at $6.25 a push. And triggered the super bonus of all 3 "pots" for only $68. 10 times my bet. Another let down. I think I am over-betting these games. 

Back to NY NY where we grab lunch. Dad gets a hotdog, and I get some nachos. A big plate of chili cheese nachos for $7.95. And yup, you can room charge even that. 

The plan now, is to make my final stand at Bellagio with the last of the cash I have on hand. I still have that $12,000 check locked up. So I cannot fuck too much up. But we fly out tomorrow at 9AM, so it is just get up and go. 

Bellagio conservatory is now 100% gutted. But still no horses. 

I start off well, and bang out some hits on the below. 

We walk outside to watch the fountain show, which I sadly have not watched in years. Glad I did, as I forgot just how awesome it was. 

Back to gambling, and I am slowly loosing. Aria and Bellagio still have a good mix of games. Both old and new. The rest of the MGM joints, not so much. 

We go see some art, for free. Eat some gelato, for free. And I thought I made a $5.00 bet on Black Jack, to kill time near dad who was playing a slot. But I made a $20 bet. Got dealt an 11 VS the Dealers 7. And had to put more money in, to double down. It was the right move. 

Played this new game on the way out and won, but overall. Yet another losing stop on our MGM tour. 

One more fountain show for the road! Everyone crowds on the Strip to watch. But you can get great views from the sides. 

Dad wants to hit Aria before bed, so we head over there. It is just a 2 minutes walk to Vdara. 

I thought for sure I had a handy on the below. $10 bet, and I get the super bonus. Feature 2 has the last reel locked wild. With expanding wilds the entire bonus. I won next to nothing, sans a last game $300 hit. Another MGM disappointment, and my first $300 hit of this part of our stay. 

I thought they took out all of their Cash Wheel games, which used to be everywhere. But they kept one alive in their old High Limit room. I did well. But still well down for the day. 

And that Dragon in the lobby really comes to life at night!

All in all, I lost $2,000 today. And I am not happy about it. We did $12,000 of coin in. And just over $20,000 with MGM over the last 2 days. Which cost me $3,500. Add in the $500 loss at Rio, and I dropped $4K with one single $300 "good" win for all that money.

Hard to be mad at winning $11,000 on a trip. But I pissed away $5,000 I shouldn't have. But that's Vegas. It isn't hard to win money. It's hard to stop, when you do. 

Dad did OK with MGM, and overall he did not lose much. Not that he bets big, but the old guy was able to hang in there all trip. And we both survived somewhat unscathed. 

Good bye Giant Robot Dildo at Aria. See you next time!