Happy Chinese New Year

This year the casinos in down town put on some nice incentives for the year of the goat. The El Dorado casino had a beautiful chinese food buffet this weekend. Crispy suckling pig, roast duck, and many other delicious entrees were presented. There was a dancing chinese dragon and drum team that roamed throughout the common areas that El Dorado and the Silver Legacy share. And Pai Gow, so much Pai Gow.

On Saturday night after dinner I went to the Silver Legacy keno lounge, played $20, smoked a cigar, and had a couple of cognacs. I won my money back. Then it was time to go downstairs.

Pai Gow is my new jam. In no other game in the casino will the house show you how to play your cards, and in some cases even fix your cards, so you can win. You push a lot, so your money goes longer. Most of the time I break even. I’ll play for several hours, drink for free, socialize with interesting and friendly people, and feel properly entertained.

For Chinese New Year there were approximately eleventy zillion Pai Gow tables at the Silver Legacy and they were all full. I play the poker variant. I have no idea how to play the dominoes. But I got into a table right away, luckily, and had a good time.

Don’t say “Gung Hey Fat Choy”–it doesn’t sound nice in Mandarin. Please say “Gong Xi Fa Cai” instead.

Enjoy the year of the goat.