The Whale Jo Chronicles - Whale Jo's Lost Chapter

Welcome - you've stumbled across the "The Whale Jo Chronicles." These posts (four in all) are a recount of the exploits of my friend Whale Jo during an October 22 - October 24 trip to Vegas. Don't know who Whale Jo is? Check out the trip reports on this blog and then you'll know. I'd recommend: The Shipit Trip Report and The Chocolate Chip Trip Report for starters. Or you can scroll down this page and you'll see the reports and various pictures from Las Vegas.

Most of the e-mails and pictures came from the first two days of his trip. Here's a link to Day One. Want to see what happened on Day Two? Here's a link to Day Two. What little trickled out on the third day can be found at Day Three.

Suffice to say, Whale Jo's trip had its ups and downs and appears to have ended, this time, on a down note. I wasn't sure if I'd get a final report putting a wrap on this trip - but Whale Jo has been gracious enough to provide me with his "Lost Chapter."

The next Vegas trip is January 2010 . . . but I do plan on adding some more content to this site between now (October 2009) and then . . . so please come back and visit. And, good or bad, please send me an e-mail if you have any comments or questions.

And without further ado . . .

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Whale Jo's Lost Chapter
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Reprinted with express permission by W. Joe.

As many of you have probably experienced, it's all about timing in Vegas.

When you walk away, when you hit a table, when you put a dollar in a slot machine. If you're a second too late or too early...

So after an incredible run the first night I was riding a high through the 2nd day. I felt like my timing was perfect. Like James Caan in The Gambler, I was juking and jiving, bopping and weaving....I was invincible. A few hundred here, a few hundred there, a couple thousand here, a couple thousand there. It was magic and I was in the zone.

After meeting up with some of the TA boys at Golden Gate and finally crushing the Golden Nugget to the tune of about $4k, I was back up $10K for the trip.

I felt good. I was up. It was Friday night and I saw the big lights.

I told the cabbie - Back to the Encore!

And that was my fatal mistake.

I had horrible luck at the Encore the entire trip, and now, as the sweet scent greeted me at the door I thought I could outhorsepower the gods and take some of Steve's loot.

No luck.

I ended up sitting at the high limit blackjack table for 3 hours and dumping hand after hand after hand. I just wouldn't give up. I kept trying to force it and I kept losing. It was disgusting. I tried everything I could think of - switching from 1 to 4 hands, standing, hitting, splitting, doubling. Every move I made was the wrong one.

Finally, at 3 am, I gave up.

I went up to the room and passed out.

I had been there before, so many times, when I tried to force it and lost.

I broke all my cardinal rules and I paid for it.

On Saturday I woke up, had an incredibly refreshing breakfast, massage and workout and then gave it one final stand, grinding it at $100 a pop throughout the afternoon, trying to get back the magic and get in the flow again.

But by late Saturday night I hit the wall. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted and decided to lick my wounds and retreat to the suite.

3 days in Vegas is a marathon and I ran too fast in the beginning and didn't have any legs for the finish.

The trip back on Sunday was thankfully uneventful. The ride in the Rolls does wonders for the beaten down spirit of a Vegas loser. Steve is a marketing guru.

I'm back in the drizzly Pacific Northwest now and ready to train again. There's 3 months to go til our January trip which I know will be epic.

I'll have my wingman Jaco back to guide me through the madness and magic, as well as our 5 copilots: buzzy; Chaz; Frankiestyles; Double D; and the Doctor.

Cheers,
WJ