Three Unwise Monkeys go to Vegas

[the sicilian]

Went downtown today and played at Binions.... wow downtown Vegas is such a culture shock to the strip..

Binions is epic.... like all of downtown its old and tired...the staff are old and tired and the customers are old and tired .At one point paramedics turned up to treat a customer. Why do I feel this is a regular occurance.
Inside Binions the wall paper is peeling, the felts are stained and the chairs are narrow and made of hard leather. Whereas the waitresses at the Venetian are leggy supermodels binions are like your Auntie Beryl with heavy makeup and blue rinses.

But the strip is all false glitz.... downtown is real and has an earthy feel about it.it has real people living real lives...there are no billionaire whales here.
We saw several hobo's... downtrodden, a life of pain etched into their wizened faces...their tales of woe probably border on epic.
We made Vinnie stand near them...just to make them feel better.

Downtown has value for money, and as afternoon turned to night Binions and its Freemont Street home came alive and was packed with degenerates and tourists alike. The light show, parade and bands gave a carnival atmosphere no amount of billion dollar resort hotels could ever recreate.
Inside Binions I ground out a deep finish in one of the softest fields I have ever encountered. At one point I find myself sitting next to a lady playing whilst holding a small dog. I wonder briefly if its looking at my hole cards and telling her. But no she played so bad that wasn’t possible.
I go out just shy of the money thanks to a genius internet boy who decided peeling 3 bets with J 8 DD was a good idea. He was right on a Q 10 9 board. My timing immaculate with a repop of Q 9 to his cutoff steal.
My counterparts had departed early and Gav had already begun a run at the craps table.
I checked on Vinnie in the Binion card room, A small round alcove of poker history. The walls are adorned with framed pictures of the old greats that had once graced this hallowed room..most long gone, gamblers of the most degenerate kind Gazing down at their most favourite of pastures.
Standing there I truly felt a sense of something very special. I left the Scottish one to do his worst against the craggy regs and weaved my way through the myriad lines of slot machines. I felt as though I had stepped back in time and half expected a crew of sharp suited gangsters to come gliding through. All I got was Phyllis and Bert of Pennsylvania average age 129.
I found Gav at the craps that border the wide open entrance to Freemont Street. The dealers are scantily dressed cow girls strategically  placed to entice maximum custom.
Dressing the girls like hooker’s works and the place is rammed. The Gav and me get in a hole between us but then make a comeback and put in a spirited shooting display each that sees us high fiving and the pit boss bemoaning his luck.
We leave well up and happily seek out a taxi amidst the blinking lights of Freemont to take us back to fairy land and luxury.
We give some of our money back to the venetian when I discover I had lost a credit card...I cancel it but not before someone out there has a McDonalds on me. I have to laugh as the boys rip me about the hamburgler turning me over.
I will return to Freemont before we take to the skies and blighty...it’s.... bloody excellent

[Simon Galloway]

I shouldn't have talked you out of the Pigeon, you'd have been happier there.

[millidonk]

Hamburgler. Epic!

[claypole]

Can I stop being labelled a degenerate who has introduced you to Pai How, Craps - I think it's Vinnys fault for bringing you 

Good luck today and sure I'll see y later for a roll....I mean beer

[Claw75]

much better now you've cut all the poker hand crap right down

[nirvana]

I'm glad someone else really likes downtown. Great place imo

[Claw75]

I'm glad someone else really likes downtown. Great place imo

yah palaminos binions is the nutz

[nirvana]

I'm glad someone else really likes downtown. Great place imo

yah palaminos binions is the nutz

Palaminos has some merit too tbf

[the sicilian]

much better now you've cut all the poker hand crap right down

Did it just for u obv

[mondatoo]

Craps is soooooooo good.

[Claw75]

much better now you've cut all the poker hand crap right down

Did it just for u obv

[celtic]

Really sorry about your credit card mate.

[Simon Galloway]

If you were really sorry, you'd have given it back to him by now.

[Chompy]

Aargh, rate my chances of getting out of Howard Johnson JFK in one piece at no more than 50-50. GG everyone, was nice knowing yous.

They have a curry delivery menu and goat bhuna is on it!

[Marky147]

Great writeups Dean, was good to meet all you guys and that pool hall was comical. The looks on all the the faces that were stood outside loitering on that industrial estate was worrying, I don't think that any of them had seen a limo before and it probably wasn't the most inconspicuous way to descend on the gaff

I'm moving down to the Nugget on Friday while I play their $1k and can't wait. I love the different pace of things down there and the light show with all the entertainers is pretty epic. I think if I stay on the strip much longer I'll be done  and I need a break to play some poker to try and get out of it!!!