The Profit Special: High Stakes

[Whimsy]

Marcus Lemonis goes behind the scenes in Las Vegas, spending three days as a high roller to unlock the secrets of Sin City.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Marcus goes to Vegas.    I didn't even watch.   I can always rely on the posters here to keep me up to date on shows like this.  

 

I did watch his Cuba special, but most of the other ones just don't interest me.   I've also started skipping some of the regular show, because I'm over the family drama ones.     I did thoroughly enjoy the behind the scenes for Sweet Pete a couple of weeks ago.    

Edited January 9, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[hurrrz]

I am not sure what this was supposed to accomplish. Sure, he shows how you can blow through $25k in a few days, but the majority of people are not doing a 3500/night suite when they go there (plus I'd be inclined to think that the whole stay was comped anyway). So he makes an episode about how everything in Vegas is optimized to make money? I am shocked about that relevation. 

[Amarsir]

Did we just watch Marcus's vacation? No, probably not - he doesn't seem the Vegas type. 

But I don't know what we did watch. What did we learn? A venue I don't know makes $20,000 per hour at the penny slots? That a large premium buffet goes through 2 tons of crab legs a year? OK.

I liked the Cuba special and both of the Marijuana ones. And I've enjoyed other CNBC shows about casinos in the past. But there was nothing here.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, Amarsir said:

That a large premium buffet goes through 2 tons of crab legs a year?

I thought they said 2 tons a day, but I was watching after midnight, so I may have misunderstood.

[Gregg247]

I'll bet that "personal butler" that was assigned to Marcus had an easy time during filming.  Marcus doesn't seem like a typical Vegas high-roller.  I'll bet he was in bed by 9:00 pm each night!  

For a savvy businessman, Marcus seemed like the most naive rube who dropped off the back of a turnip truck when he hit the Las Vegas Strip.  Does he REALLY not know how to play Blackjack, or how a casino works?

Also, why show how expensive Las Vegas can be by going out of your way to purchase $950 ties, $850 shoes, and stay in a suite that costs $3500/night?  He could have spent that kind of money back in Chicago if he wanted.  If you've got the money, you can always find someone willing to sell you stupid, over-priced stuff in exchange for it, no matter where you are.

Should I expect to see a Sweet Pete's in Caesar's Palace next time I visit?

[hurrrz]

Right? It's like - "This is what a trip to Vegas will cost you" And then he shops ties and whatnot. I am really dumbfounded by this episode. 

[seacliffsal]

I actually enjoyed this episode.  I did find it amusing though that Marcus said he was going to spend $20,000 and get the VIP treatment. I would imagine that Caesar's sees WAY bigger spenders than that.  I agree with Greg247 in that Marcus seemed like a bit of a rube.  It seemed like it was his first time ever in Vegas, and maybe it was.  I learned a lot in the sections about how they track spending and anticipate future spending through the gaming cards-I probably would have figured that out if I ever spent any time thinking about it, but I enjoyed watching it.  Loved hearing a bit about the blackjack dealer and how he had to work up to that position and the role that segregation played in early Vegas.  It's my understanding that Frank Sinatra helped in the integration of Las Vegas (especially as Sammy Davis, Jr. wasn't welcome and Sinatra worked to change that).

I guess this felt like I actually learned something without disliking any of the participants in the episode, so it felt like a big win.  It's been a while since I've liked everyone in a The Profit episode.

[Amarsir]

On 1/9/2019 at 1:02 PM, Moose135 said:

I thought they said 2 tons a day, but I was watching after midnight, so I may have misunderstood.

You could be right. I'd watch again to check but I really don't want to.

[Amarsir]

On 1/9/2019 at 6:17 PM, seacliffsal said:

Loved hearing a bit about the blackjack dealer and how he had to work up to that position and the role that segregation played in early Vegas.  It's my understanding that Frank Sinatra helped in the integration of Las Vegas (especially as Sammy Davis, Jr. wasn't welcome and Sinatra worked to change that).

Oh yeah the segregation then was so strict and flagrant it's ridiculous. Davis was so in demand by the competing casinos that he was getting paid millions (in 1950s money) to be seen onstage but wasn't allowed to be seen literally anywhere else - not to stay, not to eat, nothing. There are some really great stories to be told about Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, and others. I would have been thrilled to see more depth on that.

Quote

I learned a lot in the sections about how they track spending and anticipate future spending through the gaming cards-I probably would have figured that out if I ever spent any time thinking about it, but I enjoyed watching it.  

Also a fascinating area to go deep on. Some of the CNBC specials I've enjoyed have gone into the complexity of the system and how they can use cameras and sensors to track big spenders as well as catch cheaters. For example, casino chips have microchips inside them and the tables have sensors. So they register your card number for your seat and the computer figures knows how much you bet on each hand. (What's more, the cameras can recognize the cards and tell if you're using optimal strategy or not.) Another fascinating area to go into.

Maybe I'm being too harsh because I've seen all that before. But I felt Marcus was just surface-deep on the whole city and as a result didn't offer much value.

[GoGamecox]

Marcus seems like he would be a total bore to go to Vegas with. Just sayin'. 

[qtpye]

On 1/9/2019 at 3:32 PM, Gregg247 said:

I'll bet that "personal butler" that was assigned to Marcus had an easy time during filming.  Marcus doesn't seem like a typical Vegas high-roller.  I'll bet he was in bed by 9:00 pm each night!  

For a savvy businessman, Marcus seemed like the most naive rube who dropped off the back of a turnip truck when he hit the Las Vegas Strip.  Does he REALLY not know how to play Blackjack, or how a casino works?

Also, why show how expensive Las Vegas can be by going out of your way to purchase $950 ties, $850 shoes, and stay in a suite that costs $3500/night?  He could have spent that kind of money back in Chicago if he wanted.  If you've got the money, you can always find someone willing to sell you stupid, over-priced stuff in exchange for it, no matter where you are.

Should I expect to see a Sweet Pete's in Caesar's Palace next time I visit?

Like stupid ugly broken heart sweaters.

[Koalagirl]

I wasn't planning on watching at all.  I went to Las Vegas several years ago just to see what it was all about and I was one and done.  But this got me interested in perhaps going back, this time off of the Strip and hang out on Fremont Street.  A lot less expensive and I had no idea you could zipline there.

[stormy]

I like Marcus but the show put me to sleep.

[cooksdelight]

On 1/17/2019 at 11:28 AM, Koalagirl said:

I wasn't planning on watching at all.  I went to Las Vegas several years ago just to see what it was all about and I was one and done.  But this got me interested in perhaps going back, this time off of the Strip and hang out on Fremont Street.  A lot less expensive and I had no idea you could zipline there.

Fremont Street is fun, I spent more time there than on the strip.