Vegas Wrap-up

I'm in the airport in Las Vegas, waiting for my flight home. The first weekend of March Madness has come and gone, and the Vegas shysters have foiled me, again. Last year, I left Vegas on a high note, winning on Saturday and Sunday after two horrendous days of basketball betting. This year, a glorious two days of betting on Thursday and Friday turned sour when I won zero wagers on Saturday and one on Sunday. The big losers on Saturday were Duke, Purdue, Notre Dame and UCLA. On Sunday, losing wagers on Siena, Texas and San Diego had me down monetarily and emotionally. However, a 2-game parlay on North Carolina and Louisville eased the pain, as both teams cruised to easy victories.

This year's trip to Vegas was a mirror image from last year's trip, but what the two trips have in common is a turning point after two days. In both cases, fortunes turned when a prominent character entered the picture. Last year, The Oracle provided good fortune. This year, betting fortunes turned when my buddies and I ran into Walking Death at the Hofbrauhaus after the Don Rickles show on Friday. This mysterious, long-haired weirdo was dressed in black and very much resembled a human embodiment of death. After leaving the Hofbrauhaus, we saw Walking Death again at the Hard Rock Casino! We should have recognized the signs and avoided betting on Saturday and Sunday. Alas, we did not.

As I mentioned, I caught a show at the Orleans Showroom... Don Rickles, live! Yes, he's still alive, but just barely. He looked physically frail, but he was mentally sharp. The show started with a smarmy, twenty minute opening act; a Vegas singer named Paul Christopher. This guy resembled Wayne Newton, and he was over the top in his Vegas lounge style. Rickles gave us just over an hour of entertainment, and his humor was kick-ass. Rickles is known for his harsh, insensitive style, but he apologizes after almost every joke, and the crowd eats it up. Rickles randomly selected two guys out of the audience to bring up on stage with him. The first guy was an amputee, missing one leg from the knee down. Rickles claimed that after 55 years in the business, this was the first time he had an amputee on stage. The amputee claimed that he drove in from Phoenix, and he was proud to have Rickles make fun of him. Rickles did, and it was hilarious. Rickles received several standing ovations before the show ended, and he seemed humble at the end. If you get the chance, catch his show sometime. You might not have many chances left.