When Vegas was REALLY Vegas

I'm bradley and this is all about making sure you're never the sucker a the table.

And how appropriate that really is right now. Because I was talkin' to a few guys who came back from a trip to the Mother Ship - Las Vegas. Let me tell you right now - according to them, Vegas is not like it used to be.

These aren't get off my lawn types - they're mid 40's, totally cool with the vibe Vegas sends out every day. But they each said the same thing - too damn expensive, even when you win at the tables or in the sportsbook.

I haven't set foot in Vegas in years so my opinion is bullshit. No 'ground level report' so to speak so I just shut up and keep my ears open. But what I'm hearing is vastly different from what I remember of Vegas in my prime.

I first touched down in '75 for a quick stopover on my way back to New York City. Vegas was changing then, the mob had been run out for the most part, but there were still hotels run by shell corporations connected to the connected guys. Drinks were free at the table, food was cheap and good, and rooms were inexpensive. Plus, gamble for 30 minutes or even less, and a pit boss would comp you foot, shows - even your room.  Bottom line - the strategy was simple - don't spend your money on stuff that doesn't matter. Plant your carcass at the tables - that's where the money is made.

And did it ever flow. In its heyday, Vegas casinos were dropping so much money into the Mob tills,  they could SKIM millions off the top, and still make more money than they knew what to do with. 

Don't get me wrong - this is no love letter to the Mob. I'm not here to tell you these were guys were Mother Theresa. You chose the Mob as your employer, you chose a tough business. This isn't about the good and bad of organized crime. This is about business. And hell's bells, when you look at their formula for making Vegas work, it's hard to argue with.

Yeah, times have changed. Almost every state now has legal gambling of one form or another. Online gambling has exploded and corporations have taken over the Mother Ship and run it, well like corporations run things. So it was inevitable, Vegas would change. But to hear these guys talk, the changes have not made it better. Yeah, the hotels are bigger, the entertainment spectacular - but when they hit you in the pocket as hard as they do before you get to the tables, it's tough to sit and just pour money into the machine.

Ya gotta do Vegas - it's legendary. But beware - you may find the Mother Ship has taken on some water and not be the fun factory of your imagination.

I'm bradley and I'm trying like to keep you from being the sucker at the table.