Woman Gets Topless, Did A Lesbian Shoot Her Shot With Me?, And A Bloody Hotel Room | Vegas Recap

PublishedAugust 24, 2024 2:33 PM EDT|UpdatedAugust 24, 2024 2:33 PM EDT

Note: Specific names and details have been withheld to protect national security and the identities of those involved. This is a true story.

The great Las Vegas adventure is officially in the books, and it was one for the ages.

As many OutKick readers know, I take at least one trip a year to Las Vegas. It gives the guy’s group, which is spread out literally from coast-to-coast, an opportunity to meet in one location and have some fun.

We won’t apologize for guys being dudes.

The trip dominates text chains months in advance, we scour the internet for ideas and we count the days down on the calendar.

We’re made for Vegas and Vegas is made for us. Well, I’m happy to announce the 2024 trip was epic…..but not without some problems along the way.

Wheels up to Las Vegas.

I flew out Sunday morning right around the time the sun came up. Naturally, I decided to take it easy Saturday by watching the classic Matthew McConaughey film "A Time To Kill" with a couple cocktails and Modelos.

I hit the pillow by 9:30, woke up at 4:40 Sunday morning refreshed, ready to roll and full of energy. I packed the night before to make sure my schedule would be as efficient as possible. Travel tip for everyone. Always pack the night before for an early morning trip. You can thank me later. It was high vibes and my fiancée was even going to the airport at the same time as me to leave for a work trip. Everything is lining up for this trip to be firing on all cylinders.

Little did I know there were about to be multiple issues.

What do we need at the airport before a Las Vegas trip?

An ice cold beer.

After all, time doesn’t exist in an airport. Drinking a beer at 6 a.m. might be the sign of a serious problem if you do it anywhere else. It’s just business as usual in an airport.

Well, this is where I ran into my first issue of the trip. Not a great sign when we can’t even get on the plane before there’s a problem.

I take a seat at a bar at DCA, and the couple next to me might be the rudest people I’ve ever met. I can tell they’re both hammered. They’re talking down to staffers, slurring their words, being insanely loud and demanding they get more booze. I’m disgusted. I hate people who treat others they perceive as below them poorly. Everything about these people is gross, and I’m biting my tongue so hard that it’s bleeding instead of lighting them up in a fashion I try not to do anymore.

I grab my stuff and decide instead of getting a beer - I literally left before being served because I hated those two clowns so much - I’m going to try to get some food.

Get ready for my second strike in a row.

I decided on Taylor Gourmet - a popular sandwich chain in the region. I order the top breakfast sandwich option and a water for $17. This had better be good.

It’s not.

In fact, it’s not just bad. It’s one of the worst sandwiches that I’ve ever had. It’s brutally bad. I throw it away before even being halfway finished. I’m now 0/2 and I haven’t even stepped foot on the plane.

A look at the trash sandwich. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Finally, some good news. I’m sitting on the aisle seat and there’s nobody in the middle seat. The guy at the window and I exchange a quick look and he hits me a thumbs up. Finally, a win. However, the win doesn’t last long.

I’m finally ready for my first beer of the trip, and right before I order, an announcement comes over the PA system that drink service is canceled because too many people need to use the bathroom.

What the hell?

Drink service is canceled because of people using the bathroom? I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. Is this the United States of America or the third world? It’s getting harder to tell the difference. I don’t care if people urinate in their pants, I want a beer and I’m not happy about not getting one for the entire flight.

For those of you keeping track at home, that’s one win (empty middle seat) and three losses. The good news is the plane touches down without further issues, and I’m immediately hit with one of my favorites in the world:

The feeling of my feet being in Sin City.

The world is now at my fingertips. What should I do first? Hit the blackjack tables? Put a sports bet down? Grab some food?

All options are on the table.

No better feeling than landing in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

I hit the ground rolling in Las Vegas.

I'm the first Vegas operator in the crew to get to Sin City, and like in any war or conquering action, the first men on the front have to take ground, establish the lines and never retreat.

How do I like to set the tone for a great Las Vegas trip? Hit up Stage Door. For those of you who don't know, Stage Door is a magical place located behind The Flamingo and Cromwell that sells beers for $1 and hot dogs for $2. You simply can't find better prices anywhere near The Strip, and the crowd is fascinating.

It's the definition of a dive bar, and the crowd can be both wildly entertaining and a bit sketchy. My kind of people.

I order a hot dog and a few beers, and next thing I know I'm knee deep in a conversation with a mega-based bartender about Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Kyle Rittenhouse and the 2020 riots that consumed America. I can tell that this trip is going to be awesome.

A look at an ice cold Budweiser that cost just $1 at Stage Door in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Next up is one of my favorite places to gamble: Ellis Island.

I have a little time to kill before the first wave of reinforcements arrive, and there's no better way to burn it than hitting the tables for some 3:2 blackjack.

I threw a few hundred on the table, and for the next hour or so I rode a wave of ups and downs. Eventually, I push back to even and decide that's enough for the time being. I take my money and go. Little do I know something huge will be going down at a blackjack table in the near future. More on that later.

First, I decide to grab a quick 20-minute nap after a long day of travel and recharge my batteries ahead of the rest of a long day. Waking up feeling refreshed and ready to roll, I decide I want to check out Treasure Island - a place I've never spent much time at.

I find the country bar at the hotel sells Coors Banquet, and I'm obviously not leaving without getting one.

A crispy cold Coors Banquet enjoyed at Gilley's at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Remember when I said something major was about to go down at a blackjack table? Buckle up because I had no idea what was awaiting me.

I entered the high-limit blackjack lounge at TI, and decided we're here to gamble. Let's push it hard and fast, win some money and get the hell out of here with my shirt still on my back.

This is the first time in my life I've played legit high limit blackjack, and I'm every bit as nervous as I am excited. There's a chance I could lose a few months worth of income or I could bankrupt TI like a legend.

While the latter didn't exactly happen, I won more money in the span of 10-15 minutes than I could earn working an actual job for a long time. It's 3:2 double-deck with the dealer standing on 17, and I'm absolutely crushing it. The pit boss is watching the table like a hawk as my chips pile up hand after hand. I'm not sure if he thinks I'm counting. I'm not. I might not be the dumbest person on the planet, but I'm certainly not counting cards.

Eventually, I look down at the table and realize there's more than enough money to pay for the trip and my flights. That's good enough for me. I push back from the table, color up my chips and go get a huge payday. The biggest payday of my life in Las Vegas. I'm borderline shaking with adrenaline. I feel invincible, but as we know, nothing lasts forever…..or does it?

Eventually, a second Las Vegas operator - call sign VO2 - arrives and I'm not plussed up and ready to continue the war against Vegas. A war against the darkness of the soul Sin City comes calling for.

VO2 wants to hit up Blake Shelton's bar Ole Red. I'm skeptical, but I decide it's worth giving it a shot. My feelings about it are mixed.

There's some really fun live music, but it's wildly expensive. I ordered one cocktail and it was $18. A staggering $18 for a single cocktail! We're not at Stage Door anymore, folks.

The food was slightly above average, but certainly not impressive by any metric. Remember how high I was feeling getting rich at the tables? My experience at Ole Red has me coming back down to reality. If you're into gimmicks and shticks, it could be for you. Otherwise, pass.

A look at my cocktail at Ole Red. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Ole Red features live music. (Credit: David Hookstead)

My sandwich at Ole Red. (Credit: David Hookstead)

After dinner, VO2 and I return to Ellis Island where we hit a little bit of a hot streak to close out our first day in Vegas.

I hit passed out immediately knowing that I've made enough money to guarantee this trip is a success no matter what comes next.

It's absolutely a hell of a feeling to close down a day like that. Now, we want the next wave of reinforcements to strengthen our flanks and ride into the next day.

The full squad arrives ready to get after it.

One of the most underrated parts of Las Vegas is that it's awesome in the morning before the sun comes up and into the very early morning hours. The streets are empty or people are just getting ready for bed.

It's an easy time to thrive if you know what you're doing. You can do anything and go anywhere quickly in the morning. The tables are also wide open.

Simply put, I love Las Vegas in the mornings, and I started Day 2 by walking up and down the strip for a couple hours. It lets me get in some exercise while also doing some exploring.

Las Vegas in the morning is awesome. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Speaking of exploring, I love visiting the Wynn (make note of that for later) when I'm in Las Vegas. I don't stay there because I'm pretty sure working-class guys like myself aren't exactly the resort's desired clientele.

It's absolutely beautiful inside. It's class, prestige and elegance brought to life. Everything is unbelievably clean, crisp and the customer service is second to none. I don't take a morning walk in Las Vegas without popping into the Wynn. It's also a great point to turn around as it's at the end of the north end of the strip.

The Wynn is the fanciest hotel in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

After some morning breakfast at Chayo with VO2 and a little light gambling (no real swings either way), it was time for everyone else to arrive.

In total, there are six of us and the other four (call signs VO3, VO4, VO5 and VO6) have arrived. Boots are on the ground ready to roll!

How do you celebrate the group getting together? That's a very easy question to answer. Several buckets at Stage Door. The stories are immediately flowing.

It's important to note that many of us only see each other in-person once a year, and it's in Las Vegas. I haven't seen VO3 and VO4 since last August when we were in Sin City. VO5 is a new addition to the squad this year, and is a close friend of VO3 and VO4. I don't know it just yet, but I'm about to be absolutely fascinated by this guy for the duration of the trip.

He is a content machine that is full of stories, but before we unpack all of that over the course of the vacation, it's time to get back to the tables.

This time we're going to El Cortez.

El Cortez is a classic Las Vegas hotel in the Fremont region of town. It's like stepping into a time machine from back when Las Vegas ran the city. There's so much history that I could spend hours talking about my love of the El Cortez, but the best part is there's a beer tank right in the middle of the gaming bit.

Most casinos have cocktail waitresses that might come around once or twice an hour. Not El Cortez. It's immediate access, and we waste no time before cracking them open and throwing them back. That's about the only good thing that happens at El Cortez because it's a bloodbath on the tables. An absolute bloodbath.

In any gunfight (blackjack in this case), you have to change the dynamics if you start losing, and that's exactly what's happening here. For the first time since arriving, I'm bleeding money.

We push back from the tables knowing that we'll eventually get it all back, and we have one idea of how we're going to shift the momentum back in our favor.

Hogs & Heifers.

Now, how does one describe Hogs & Heifers? How does one describe what might be the greatest bar in all of Las Vegas? It's a tough question, but I'll do my best to answer it.

Hogs is essentially a biker bar for the common man that leans into a bit of a Coyote Ugly vibe. It's simply awesome. The bartenders like to dance on the bar and they really love to talk some trash. This bar isn't for the emotionally weak or those with thin skin. If you can't take a joke, then don't even think about entering.

Fortunately for all of us, we're used to the chaos and carnage that life has thrown at us for decades. This is our place, and as soon as we walk in, I can tell we're so back.

I order a round of Coors Banquets, and the vibes are absolutely electric. It feels like we never left, and that's when one of the bartenders hits us with a curveball.

A look at the entire group inside Hogs and Heifers. (Credit: David Hookstead)

A look at the entire group inside Hogs & Heifers. (Credit: David Hookstead)

I'm informed that I'm apparently unbelievably attractive. I won't lie, this isn't the first time this has been said to me by a certain group of women that check some very specific boxes (hit me up at David.Hookstead@outkick.com and I'll tell you all about it). Fortunately for me, I'm long off the market and engaged to a saint who understands (and hopefully loves) my passion for Las Vegas.

Yet, I - just like any man - appreciate a great compliment, and I'm not surprised to hear my blue eyes are a hit. However, the curveballs are far from over.

The bartender - a real sweetheart - hits me with the fact she's a lesbian. I'm not being told I'm hot by a lesbian? Wild times, indeed. I'm not sure this is a first for me, but I truly can't remember if a self-admitted (maybe bisexual?) lesbian told me I was hot. We're not going to scrutinize it. We'll take the compliment and keep things moving. I don't care if you're a lesbian or not, if you want to call me hot, I'm more than happy to accept that, and that's even more true when it comes to the wonderful cast of characters at Hogs & Heifers.

After more drinks than we should probably admit, we leave Hogs & Heifers for the tables, where we get crushed again. It's important to know when to walk away, and that's exactly what we do. I go to grab a beer from the bar by myself, and a woman walks up to me and takes an interest in me. Honestly, it feels like she's a hooker, but I can't say for sure. Either way, I don't want anything to do with her and I make a quick exit.

I can tell people are tired, but we're not going to let fatigue end the night before the early morning hours. We grabbed a few buckets of beer and engaged in a foreign policy discussion that was riveting on all levels. It was getting spicy to say the least, and I'll leave it there.

Next up: fully automatic weapons.

What's the best way to start a long day ahead of us? Steak and eggs. Never apologize for loving steak and eggs. Inject red meat into my soul.

I love it, and won't apologize for it. It's simply incredible, and there's no better deal for it than at Ellis Island where it can be had for just $14.99. It's not even a tough call. We fuel up and get ready for the one thing I'm most excited about.

A look at my steak and eggs. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Every single year, we try to book one thing that's a bit out of the ordinary and unexpected. The choice this year was a simple one:

Fully automatic weapons and guns from WWII.

As OutKick readers know, I'm passionate about history and I love shooting guns. I love letting it rip, but believe it or not, I've never once shot a Thompson submachine gun or an M1 Garand.

I wasted no time before selecting both of those guns and a Colt 1911. It's been a minute or two since I last shot, but it takes no time at all for my instincts and muscle memory to kick in.

Check it out below and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

It was worth every single penny. The M1 and Thompson are both insanely badass, and I even got some texts from former Tier One operators opining on my form. One noted my pistol stance is essentially perfect and another shared high praise but suggested I get the recoil a bit more under control.

Honestly, being told I'm a good shooter by some of the best shooters on the planet is probably even cooler than a lesbian telling me I'm hot.

We're officially rolling and we won't be slowed down.

I shot a modern 1911. (Credit: David Hookstead)

More gun range content. (Credit: David Hookstead)

More gun range content. The Thompson submachine gun was a ton of fun. (Credit: David Hookstead)

A look at a tank at Battlefield Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

After we're done spraying lead all over the place, we have just one thing on our mind, and it's hitting up the two most famous tiki bars in Las Vegas.

The Golden Tiki and Frankie's Tiki Room are both classic Las Vegas locations, and while it might surprise many of you because of my blue-collar working-class roots, I absolutely love tiki bars. Love them, and both of these places are huge hits.

The drinks are right around $14, and you can feel them after just a couple. While $14 might sound like a lot for a drink (it is), it's 100% worth it.

I can't recommend both spots enough if you're ever in Las Vegas.

The Golden Tiki and Frankie's Tiki Room are legendary Las Vegas spots. (Credit: David Hookstead)

A look at one of the drinks. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Another drink! (Credit: David Hookstead)

I'm a big fan of tiki bars. (Credit: David Hookstead)

After a quick dinner at an Irish pub, we find ourselves, once again, at El Cortez, and we're back to winning. We're not just winning, it feels like I might be on the verge of making an astronomical amount of money for the second time in less than 72 hours. I don't end up punching the ticket to that degree, but I walk away with some significant winnings.

I can't even begin to fathom how much money I've made at this point of the trip, and do we all know what's next?

Did you guess a return to Hogs & Heifers? Well, congratulations if you did because you are correct. The vibes are so good that I'm doing the Trump dance.

However, this isn't any usual trip to Hogs. We meet a guy from Croatia and find ourselves in a deep conversation about Serbians.

I am absolutely fascinated by everything this guy is saying as VO3 and myself hang onto every word as he breaks it down from his point of view. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest expert on what went down in the Balkans in the 1990s other than I know America and our allies intervened to stop a genocide. Past that, my knowledge is pretty limited. This guy is on fire sharing his opinions, and I'm absolutely loving it.

Also, remember when I said VO5 was a content machine earlier? Remember when I said make a note of that? It's at this time that he tells me that he's a wine expert. I have a billion questions for him after he reveals this, and his answers don't disappoint. He sounds like a guy who is explaining a topic with a PhD level of knowledge. I wish I could go more into detail, but because of his job, I have to be very careful about that.

Now, it's about midnight and I'm ready for bed. However, VO4 really wants to go sing karaoke. He's done everything we've wanted to do so far, and fair is fair.

We agree to sing karaoke…….at midnight in Las Vegas. What a life. We arrive at the bar it takes place at, and it's a legit freak show. I don't say that as a compliment. It was a freak show beyond words, and due to some of the stuff we saw, I'm going to have to be pretty limited in what details I can publicly share. I wasn't impressed at all. There was also a young woman who claimed to be 21 - which I was skeptical of - who had an outrageous amount of tattoos. She was so tatted up that it made me uncomfortable, but her behavior was even wilder.

However, we pushed through to sing "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" and brought the house down and ended it with an electric "USA! USA! USA!" chant.

I'm absolutely dead by the time I get back to my hotel room. Exhausted beyond belief, and the morning is about to be a rollercoaster I had no idea was coming.

Let the blood flow.

I went to bed Tuesday night ready to rest and recharge for the next day. What I woke up to was an absolute disaster.

I had a nosebleed unlike anything I've experienced before. There was blood everywhere. That bathroom looked like someone had been shot in the head.

There's blood on the floor, blood on the sink, blood on towels and blood on the toilet as I try to get this nosebleed under control. Before any of you ask, no, I didn't have a nosebleed because I was doing blow. I'm not a drugs guy at all.

I think it was just because of how dry the air is. It took a worrisome amount of time to get the bleeding to stop, and it then occurs to me that when house cleaning comes in, they're going to think someone died and a body is missing. Fortunately, I'm able to clean up enough and dump everything into a trash bag. Not the way I wanted to start the day, but you don't always get to pick your wars. Sometimes, they pick you, and the nosebleed picked me.

How do you turn around the day? By getting an injection of energy by playing high stakes blackjack. I head to the Wynn, and for the first time ever, belly up with America's elites.

Playing blackjack in the high limit room at Treasure Island, while cool, is less of a beast than a place like the Wynn. The Wynn is the granddaddy of them all. It's the king on the top of the throne when it comes to gambling.

I put my money down and my heart starts racing. Am I really about to gamble with the big boys? You're damn right I am. This is what it's all about. It's time to find out what kind of guts I have, and…….to the disappointment of my haters and critics, I once again absolutely crush it. I'm now on my third significant payday since getting to Vegas. Meanwhile, a few members of the group are getting cleaned out elsewhere. The duality of the Vegas experience is on full display. The tiniest and narrowest of margins separate winners from losers.

I love the Wynn in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

While the dealer at the Wynn wasn't particularly high energy, I will say that I was blown away by how fast the cocktail waitress was attending to me. I was offered a drink the literal moment my butt touched the seat.

If I'm betting mortgage payments, I expect to never wait for a drink and the Wynn couldn't have done a better job. I finally get my chips and leave feeling satisfied and confident that I can now say I'm one of the big guys when it comes to high stakes blackjack after playing it not once, but twice.

It's now Wednesday afternoon and I can see exhaustion is setting in for people. The war for the soul of Vegas is taking a toll on people, and we take it easy for a bit by hitting up the off-the-strip casino Tuscany.

Honestly, I had very low expectations going in. Very low, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was awesome, loaded with cheap tables, the dealers were great, and the drink service was speedy. Was it as speedy as the Wynn? No, but it was still great.

I can feel the energy turning around and after a massive plate of nachos and an espresso martini, we decide there's only one way to end this trip.

One last trip to Fremont. Little do I know I'm about to be treated to a show nobody saw coming.

A look at some delicious nachos I found in Las Vegas. (Credit: David Hookstead)

Did that woman just take her shirt off?

After getting to Fremont, it seemed only right we do a final send off at Hogs with the best bartenders in Las Vegas.

Little did I know we were about to see something nobody expected to see on a random Wednesday night:

A woman popping her top off and just let her boobs breathe.

See, here's the thing about Hogs I truly need people to understand. It's a wild place and all bets are off once you're inside. Anything can happen, but just because something can happen doesn't mean you expect it to.

That's the greatest way to sum up the topless woman situation. Some women like to go to Hogs and throw their bra up behind the bar. It's a rather large collection, but I'd never personally witnessed anyone do it in all my time there.

That changed Wednesday night. The woman straight up popped her top off at the bar, had her boobs out and gave her bra up to the bar.

Right, wrong or indifferent, it was a *WILD* thing to just see happen out of left field. We came for a few cold Coors Banquets and ended up seeing a woman throw her top off like it was nothing. Vegas is truly an unpredictable place.

The boys on the final night of Hogs & Heifers. (Credit: David Hookstead)

In many ways, a woman going topless was the perfect way to end the Vegas trip because of the pure insanity of it. One day, I'm getting called hot by a lesbian (bisexual?) with a spicy attitude, the next I'm winning big money and one morning I had to fight a nosebleed just to survive. You really couldn't script it any better.

The sun came up Thursday, I packed my bags after one final quick pop into the Wynn and headed to the airport. A man whose experiences over the past five days molded him into an even more hardened Las Vegas veteran.

I grabbed a burger and breakfast sandwich at the Burger King in the airport and shared a final few laughs as I sucked down a beer and 1,500 calories before 9:30 in the morning.

A look at the breakfast of champions. (Credit: David Hookstead)

We made it out with our souls (mostly) intact, I made more money than I could have ever dreamed up, the boys had a blast and Fremont and the Strip didn't disappoint.

As I write this, I'm 30,000 feet above the ground with one thing on my mind:

When are we getting back to Las Vegas?

Shoutout to everyone who made it a blast, everyone who was part of the crew and embraced the chaos and carnage of the situation.

I'll see you all soon enough, and I can't wait. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com and check out a few more photos below!