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Great Time
at Terrible Casino
That
title looks like a headline from a small-town newspaper.
In
fact, Im talking about Terribles Casino in Las Vegas. A lousy, but memorable name for a neat little
casino. You may have heard of or even visited
the former Continental Casino in Las Vegas. It
went bankrupt several years ago, and the Herbst family purchased it, then converted and
expanded it into a Tuscany-themed casino hotel.
The
Herbst family is known as operators of the Terrible Herbst chain of gas stations,
convenience stores, taverns, and their association with Vons supermarkets.
They also own and operate a couple of other casinos in nearby Henderson and further away
in Pahrump. I was there on a comp, provided by their Off-Road Racing Team, because
of my association with the sport.
When
I first stayed and played at Terribles casino, they only had one craps table
installed. With a table minimum of $2, the crowd of players was mostly comprised of locals
and a few of the travelling RV retired set. However,
it provided me with an unusual experience that I want to tell you about.
There
was a Precision-Shooter who was shooting and betting from the Darkside.
What is unusual about this is that most skilled
players are shooting to avoid the 7, except on the Come-Out roll. This guy was just the opposite. When I first saw him carefully setting the dice,
then lofting them in a carefully crafted manner, I decided not to bet against him. In fact, initially I did nothing but watch.
I didnt have to watch long because he
7d Out within three rolls. Hmmm, I
though, this guy might have something worth watching on the next round. I subsequently had a good 16-roll hand, and the
dice made their way around the table again until they reached Mr. Precision-7-Out.
Again,
I watched his Come-Out rolls where he produced a couple of 3s, one Loser-7, and then
he established his Point number of 9. I
decided to bet with him, so I Layed the No-4 for $51.
The very next number was 7-Out. Nice
very
nice I thought. His betting was pretty
simple: $2 on the Dont Pass, backed up
with inversed 3x, 4x, or 5x Odds. Nothing
more to it than that.
Three
more trips around the table, and he produced quick 7-Outs on every one of his hands. On
each one of those subsequent rounds, I increased my No-4 bet to $100, then $200, and
eventually $300 on his final hand before I colored up with a $625 profit, mostly generated
from his and my shooting. I had to get
to a meeting across town for dinner, so I had to leave.
I told him I enjoyed his shooting, and he said that he could be found there
or at any one of the Boulder Strip casinos almost any day of the week. I made a note of his name when he introduced
himself, and an even stronger mental note to keep an eye out for him during my future
visits to Sams Town, Boulder Station, Nevada Palace, Castaways, or Arizona Charlies East.
As
you know, I get a Players Card at nearly every casino that I play at. Ive explained the logic and the reasons to
do so in previous articles like
Random Thoughts
and More Random Thoughts. If you are unconvinced about the relative merits
of those cards, I would urge you to re-read them.
If
you need further motivation to sign up for a card, especially their card, heres one compelling reason:
FREE GAS! No, Im not talking about
their Chinese Chicken Salad and Boston Cream Pie comp special in their coffee-shop. Im talking about free gasoline from any of
Terribles gas stations throughout the greater Las Vegas/Clarke County area.
When
I was coloring up to leave the table, the boxman said, Be sure to stop at the
Promotions Desk to get your free gas. Of
course, I too thought that he was talking about their Moogoo Gaipan, Lemon Chicken and
Raisin Pie 4 pm to 2 am special!
No,
he assured me, we give away $5 in free gas for every 20 minutes of play at your
level of play, and youve got $30 in gas coming to you.
When
I went to the Players Club desk to collect my gas vouchers, they also gave me a voucher
for a free car wash. Unfortunately I only
hand-wash my Porsche 911 Carrera, so I gave it away to a kindly-looking retired couple in
the parking lot.
So
if you are looking for a change of pace away from the mega-resorts on the Strip, have a
peek inside a Terrible Casino for what could be a great
and profitable time.
Good
Luck and Good Skill at the tables
and in Life. The Mad Professor
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