Thoughts on salvaging a losing trip?
Started by kayday on Tuesday, 19th February 2013 1:59 pm
So, have you ever found yourself on a long-anticipated Las Vegas visit where it seems you can't win for losing? Maybe you're down a few dollars at craps, then up a few at blackjack, and then here comes Kitty Glitter to take it all back?
That's pretty much how my trip last weekend went, which had me wondering, "Why do I come here again?" I suppose you have to focus on the positives - like that first-ever straight flush at Jacks or Better, or the awesome lunch you had at the bar at Julian Serrano. But geez. It ain't always easy. Any thoughts?
[edit - topic title should be "salvaging" not "savaging" but I can't change it. See how my luck is going?!]
Chuckmonster responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
Yup. I know this feeling well.
I vividly (and often) recall one hungover Sunday morning driving south out of town on the 15 towards home. Staring out at the tract home pocked desert, I meditated on the freshly formed knot in my stomach which I had bought and paid for with the insane amount of money I had lost in the casino that weekend. After trading sob stories with my then girlfriend, now wife, she said to me "at least we stashed the rent money in your bank account because I lost all mine."
Whoops.
So, yeah. Getting clobbered hurts. For me it hurts most when the cocktail of anticipation and optimism for a successful gambling goes freakishly bad straight out of the gate. The first wad of bills... gone. The second wad of bills... gone. The third... fuck man this isn't going right... gone. The fourth... gone. The fifth... gone, quickly, with anger. Then comes the sulking and the desire to go back to the room to pout and throw a lamp at the wall. "I hate this place. Why do I bother coming here? Honey lets go."
Sixty to zero in under six hours with another 30 hours trapped in Las Vegas.
I'll break down for another wad of bills at some point, but inevitably those vanish faster than all the previous. At that point, the trip becomes a photo safari with stops at the tourist gift shops, cheap bars and cheaper restaurants... grumbling "I hate this fucking place" the whole way.
When The Fun Stops... if it even started.
hail2skins responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
The main factor behind me migrating downtown for a lot of my Vegas trips is still the prevalence of lower-limit ($5) tables there, which means that even if you're getting clobbered, it'll be at a rate at least half as much as if you were gambling on the Strip.
Remember one trip I took way back when Fiesta Henderson was still called the Reserve and mainly playing $1/$2 craps tables, usually backing it with $10 odds, and yet by the end of two days I was down $900. How on earth could that happen? The last night I was able to shave that figure down to $600 down, but still bizarre.
Just figure that if you're playing the low-house-edge games correctly, the gambling gods will give you a winning trip to offset the losing one. Last summer in Vegas I was having such bad luck that I lamely decided to stay in the room for several hours before my red-eye flight, when I could've been enjoying time with my friends who were flying out the next day. But a few months later, won all of it back and more in one night in Atlantic City. Just takes patience.
jinx73 responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
I think any of us that are fans have been there to one degree or another. The way I've tried to prevent the feeling, since flights out to Vegas get more and more costly, I try to put my trip at 6-7 days, and I try to enjoy the other side of Vegas without focusing on the gambling, knowing that 1/2 my time is still going to be spent doing that anyway.
On top of that, I try and bring a bigger budget then what I typically gamble, so if I lose it all it's still just the trip budget, if I lose half, I still come home with something. (Notice, thinking about winning doesn't enter into the thought process).
That tends to work for me, add in a winning trip or a breakeven one every 3-4 trips and it's enough to keep me coming back, besides as I get older, it's still the one place, that I can go whereever I want and drink, and not feel like 3/4 of the people there are young enough to be my kids.
toastcmu responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
I had just this kind of trip for VIMFP last year. I was up only once in the whole weekend, and kept thinking - it's gotta change soon, right? Unfortunately, it didn't - typically once I burn through at least 50-60% of what I brought, I tend to go in gambling conservation mode - I'll still gamble, but take longer for dinner, do more touristy things, or lower the denomination - I ended up playing .05 STP at the Mirage for hours, didn't lose too much more, and got plenty of scotch to make up for it... :)
-B
theANT responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
I've had some long losing streaks that I never thought would end, and the intensity is exponential in Vegas. I try to look at it like this; I know it is a fact that I will gamble for the rest of my life. Hopefully that will equate to a long period of time. A "valley" of a day, a week or even a month will be insignificant when I look back on my complete body of work from the activities room in the old folks home. And when that day comes, as long as I am ahead by at least one dollar (USD)... I will be satisfied.
HillBilly responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
3 of my last 4 trips have been ass whoopings.
What I do, when things are going bad, is switch to strippers. Money still goes down the shitter but the titties make me feel better.
levans responded on Tuesday, 19th February 2013
Any trip that I come back with that leaves me with at least 20 bucks is a good trip. I seem to have the tendency to quit when I am ahead so if I am losing and it gets annoying I walk away and find something else to do.
Happygirl21 responded on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
I am so sorry to hear your much anticipated trip was a bust, that sucks.
Living so close to AC I can say I have had the ride of shame back up the Parkway more than once. That awful gut wrenching,"what the hell is the matter with me? Why would I not stop when I was up 3 grand, I could have used that money for..x-y&z.."feeling..Followed by my next, much more satisfying/successful, trip and that temporary euphoric feeling of going home with "their" money. That is the sucky thing with this whole gambling process, it's such a roller-coaster-like ride.
Before you know it, you will have forgotten about the crap feeling and look forward to your next great trip and hopefully a better one.
Did you see any shows or do anything out of the norm this visit? You gave me some great suggestions previously, so wondering what ideas I can take from you for my next trip :)
kayday replied on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
Hi Happygirl. I'm really glad you liked my suggestions.
I didn't try anything too exotic this trip, just a couple of "new to me" things. I saw Roseanne at the Tropicana, which was a lot of fun. Also checked out Cafe Bellagio for breakfast, and lunch at the bar at Julian Serrano at Aria, which were both excellent suggestions from the board. So really the trip wasn't a total bust. The gambling just kind of threw a wet blanket over everything.
Blakjackkid responded on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
On my last day in Vegas, whether I'm up or down, I'll run at least $100+ thru a Megabucks machine, enjoy a great meal at one of my fave casino restaurants, and enjoy a few libations right before heading for the airport. By the time I'm boarding my flite, the pain of my losses doesn't bother me anymore.
Malibugolfer responded on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
I've made so many trips over so many years and come to realize how important money management is. Separate session bankrolls, don't go on total tilt and chase losses big time, loss limits etc.
Bad losing visits do happen but so do big wins.
It's gambling money. It has no home anyway.
HedgedBettor replied on Thursday, 21st February 2013
Wise words. Gambling money should never be considered in the context of "I could have done xyz with the money." Bankrolls should always be set in the assumption they are wiped out.
Having just given that high-and-mighty speech, losing trips suck balls. I got wiped on my last trip, got right to the end of the bankroll before winning back a third of it at a crazy table at PHo, but I was still sour on the whole experience for quite a few weeks. Just remember that it happens, and the most important thing is to keep a smile on your face and indulge in plenty of gallows humor. Hey, its better than the alternative!
dzodda responded on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
Yep, I had that trip the first time I went with just the boys. Up until then, I ignored all the money-management/daily envelopes/etc advice. Then I woke up after the first night down about 80% of my roll. Sucked having to play catch-up the rest of the trip and waiting for the red-eye out of town. The pool and $6 bud lights were my lifesaver that week.
I now have a "No Black Chips on the Rail" rule. Color those red-birds up and flip 'em over to the wife for safekeeping. Even if she spends on booze, shoes, or whatever, I'll have an excuse to keep playing.
Heresiarch responded on Wednesday, 20th February 2013
If I'm all out of cash for the day, there's tons of options -- it's still Vegas, baby. Go shopping. Sit at a nickel machine and get drunk (not penny slots, what kind of cheapass do you think I am?). Walk the strip. Walk the strip to some random far-away burger joint or buffet and enjoy a slow meal. Put $20 on some random game and sit and watch the game for a few hours.
I budget gambling separately from entertainment -- and both separately from bills like rent, petrol allotment, and my cell phone. I won't blow my rent, but better still I can always eat steak for dinner. My gambling budget is broke down by the day; anything I win gets rolled over to the next day (yay!). If I lose half of it, I lower my bet.
Drop a grand at the tables? Well hell I'm still gonna eat that steak. Lady luck might be kicking me in the nads but a good meal and a bottle of wine later, who cares? And then it's time for bed (wine makes me sleepy), we'll worry about this gambling thing after breakfast -- which basically means I burn 16 hours away from the tables.
Lucky4now responded on Thursday, 21st February 2013
I have been in that predicament before and have learned to budget my bankroll for the day. I usually spread my bankroll on a per day basis. If I am on a losing streak and lose my daily bankroll then I either go shopping or to a nice restaurant. I look at gambling as a game which brings the whole losing money into perspective. Last time I went to Vegas with a friend she blew her bankroll the first day and ended up whining the rest of the time (Last time I go with her) she didn't view it as a game but a means to make money. The house always has an edge and its necessary to make a daily bankroll.
When people give me be bad looks for gambling I tell them it is like the old arcade games back in the day. You put the quarters in and didn't you have fun doing it? Thats why I like it.
Skywise responded on Thursday, 21st February 2013
Been there, done that. Food, drinks and hotel go on my credit card. Cash comes from the debit card only. If I get into a losing streak (and I have) I'm capped off at the withdrawal limit for the day, no matter how badly I want to claw my way back up. Which sucks... because you're fuming and pouting and pissed off because lady luck HATES YOU...
But on the bright side you've still got the card to purchase drinks to drown your problems.
I'd say 75% of the time it's a losing trip for me. But I go out with friends and family so it's really about partying and having fun... not to gamble. (But oh that one weekend I hit my first jackpot ever... and then got my second 4 hours later! That one lives on in infamy!)
(And I'm paying for that now come tax season...)
thecosmicjester responded on Thursday, 21st February 2013
Remember gambling is supposed to be entertainment, and therefore fun. If you aren't having fun, stop. Just put it down and walk away. It's really hard to not chase losses, but you'll have a better time taking a walk to get some fresh air than you will by continuing your losing streak.
TheVegasKing responded on Friday, 22nd February 2013
Pounding a half dozen cocktails always seems to turn my mood around after a particularly rough losing streak.