On his last night in Las Vegas my friend Jae and I went downtown to the El Cortez casino — still the saddest, strangest, cheapest and most wonderful casino in Sin City, especially during the Christmas season.

I played dollar roulette for about an hour and broke even, then lost $20 at craps.  Later that night, at a bar, I hit four tens on a video poker machine (with a 25-cent bet) and won $12.50.  A fun night of gambling with free drinks which cost me less than ten bucks.

Jae lost $12 at roulette and $20 at craps, then won $64 dollars at blackjack, for a profit of $32.

Ah, Las Vegas, when the high rollers step out . . .

[A note: 83,000 visitors to the site last month, most just passing through, I'm sure, looking for images, but still a record.]