Vegas Virgin Diary: Greeted by slot machines
Our WSOP newbie William Powell shares his first impressions of Las Vegas before he gets to work reporting on the series.
Greeted by slot machines
.jpg "Airport Slot Machine") |
| An airport slot machine |
Hello Las Vegas!
As the small Delta airplane touched down on the runway a short blast of Elvis singing “Viva Las Vegas” burst from the speakers and was met by a cheer from the passengers meaning we had at long last arrived in Sin City.
As soon as I had collected my luggage the first opportunity to gamble was available right there in the airport; several rows of slightly aging slot machines blinking hopefully at me. A few people were sat in front of them feeding them the quarters they craved but I keep my dollars in my wallet.
During my short taxi ride from the airport I stared out at the huge hotels and casinos rising from the flat plains, and despite my fatigue the sheer impressive madness of what they have built in the Nevada desert baffled and excited me.
Sharing a room, and double bed, wasn't expected
The gruff driver dropped me off at the apartments and my first attempt at tipping didn’t spark an angry exchange, so I considered that a success. At the check-in I was given a key and my room number and off I went.
When I got there however my room appeared to be occupied so I knocked on the door and it was opened by fellow live reporter Matthew Pitt. I hadn’t seen him since the ISPT at Wembley nearly a year ago, so it was good to see him but slightly unexpected. Sharing a room wasn’t what I expected and the sight of just one double bed in the room was even more unnerving.
A few phone calls later and it emerged that I was not booked in for another two days and there were no other vacancies available. The result was that I was to spend two nights at the Rio. A right result. Matt called me a “Jammy bastard.” as I made the short trudge to the hotel and I was soon setting my bags down in my room on the 13
The view of the car park
The next morning, after a fitful sleep, I got up at 8am. The view from my hotel room was a car park and then low-rise buildings stretching towards the mountains in the distance. After a hot shower I took the elevator downstairs in search of coffee and decided to have a look around.
The casino floor was not exactly packed this early in the morning but there were still a decent amount of people gambling. Some were listlessly jabbing buttons on the slot machines, seemingly passing the time until another activity occurred to them. Others were trying their luck at the craps and roulette tables.
I heard a whoop of delight from one table and headed over to see a couple of friends in their twenties gambling it up at the blackjack tables. This certainly didn’t seem to be the start of their day however as cocktails sat on the table next to lit cigarettes in the ashtray.
The guy who let out a whoop high fived his friend and, clearly on a roll, decided to play his rush and up his bets on the next round of the two hands he was playing. Unfortunately for him he bust both of them, cursing the cards as they came out, the final one seeing the dealer scooping up his cards and the chips in front of him. “Man. That just cost me five hundred dollars.” he lamented.
At the bar at the edge of the main gaming area there are built-in video poker machines in front of every stool and at this hour of the day nearly every patron sipping a drink and smoking a cigarette seemed to be playing on them. The TV screens behind the bar were showing two men trying to beat each other to death in the hugely popular UFC, and if UFC wasn’t showing then it was baseball. As far as I can work out there is always a baseball game on somewhere in America, the country’s never ending national pastime.
Maintaining eye contact in Sin City
Living in London it is unusual to make eye contact with people never mind strike up a conversation. Here in Vegas it’s the polar opposite. Conversations in the lift with strangers are commonplace and casino employees are super friendly. Sincere or not, at the moment it is a refreshing change. They are all interested in how I am doing and at the end of our interaction they hope I have a “fantastic day.”
Later in the day I tagged along with a car full of other live reporters for a trip to Walmart to stock up on essentials for the week ahead. I doubt it is a particularly big store by Walmart standards but it was still huge with a bewildering amount of choice. As well as some healthy food I threw in some “Jolly Ranchers” and “Chex mix.”
Supplies secured I decided to have a quick trip to the faded glory that is the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino which is next to the Rio. It appears to attract a slightly older clientele and those on a budget. It has a more sedate atmosphere than the Rio and is reportedly popular amongst the media crowd for its convenient and cheap buffet, excellent Long Island Iced Teas and the midnight “Dollar Bowling.” Slot machines are the dominant theme here and there is no poker room here at all. I guess there just isn’t much call for it and no profit for the owners.
The next morning it was time to say goodbye to the luxury of the Rio and check into my home for the next seven weeks, the Extended Stay America. It reminded me of “No Country for Old Men.” It’s a block of self-contained apartments, pleasant enough, and while it’s no 5-star-hotel it is perfectly fine as a base as it is only five minutes’ walk through the scorching heat to the venue of the WSOP, the Rio.
Now I’m settled in the first thing on the agenda is a visit to the Strip on Saturday night to see the bright lights.
You have a fantastic day.
Read the previous Vegas Virgin Diary: Las Vegas here I come
 William Powell is a freelance journalist and live tournament reporter for poker tournaments around the world. Primarily a live low stakes player he occasionally donates to the online poker community.
This is his first time in Las Vegas and he will be reporting on what other Vegas newbies can expect from the City of Sin. |
