Just got back from Vegas for a one-day re-group for another trip
to start at 2 am tomorrow.  :-)

DEMA 2002 will be held in Vegas in October this year.  The last
I heard, the pros like Strike, Bjorn, and others will be there.

There will be amateurs on this list who will be there too, not
for the DEMA stuff, but for other attractions and the possible
making of yet another mini-NEDfest to make 2002 the Year of
mini-NEDfests.

The first time I stayed at the Venetian, I was rather impressed
by their suites (ALL rooms there are suites), especially its
lavishly furnished and HUGE bathroom within the 600+ sq. ft
suite (which could easily be the total square footage of 4
decent-sized bedrooms in an average home).

Alas, when I inquired how much Blackjack playing I would have
to do there to get a "comp" (free room) for one night, I was
told, "12 hours of play at an AVERAGE of $100 per hand".  That
was clearly out of my league.  But speaking of BJ at the
Venetian, there are many tables requiring a MINIMUM bet of
$300, and one $500 per hand.  :-)

So, I had already written off the Venetian as a potential
"freebie".  But the recession at Vegas resulted frin the 9/11
event, prompted the Venetian to send me an invitation to
stay there at $79 a night (for some of its "slow" days).  Not
a "comp", but a discount "bait".

Since Sue and I needed a few miles to make the Platinum Class
on American Airlines, we chomped on the bait, which turned out
to be quite worthwhile.  :-)  Because of our arrival around
midnight, all their regular suites were occupied, so we were
"upgraded" (free of course) to a Piazza Suite (that's the
name of it) on the 35th floor.  THAT suite has 1,400 square
feet and made their "regular" suite look like a "motel 6"
room, in comparison.  :-)  Within the 1,400 sq. ft. of living
space (bigger than SOME houses!), the BATHROOM is the eye-
opener.  Besides spacious his&her showers (yup, two separate
shower heads in a large stall), his&her separate vanities,
and his&her separate everything, and it has a jacuzzi that
I actually FLOATED off the bottom.  :-))  Ok.  That's all the
diving I did.

The rate for that suite in October (the DEMA 2002 dates) is
only $550 a night, which is a BARGAIN, considering many suites
half that size in most cities cost MORE than that.

So, I would recommned anyone going to DEMA to spend at least
one night at that Piazza Suite -- if for nothing but hold a
PARTY at the large living-dinning room with a large Italian
marble wet bar.  (That will keep Strike and Bjorn happy :-)
and the jacuzzi is deep enough to practice buoyancy control
and UW breathing techniques.  <BG>

The rest of Vegas was just the same old Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad,
Unreal World.  The Belagio hotel dinner buffet serves Alaskan
king crab legs and is much better and cheaper than the one
in Nashville, TN.

-- Bob.