Vegas trip report -- long

[2Tone]

So my crew and I hit Vegas this past weekend. Four of us – me, a buddy of mine who is fairly big time, at least compared to me (has competed in a WPT event, regularly plays 8/16 and up in NYC/AC), and two friends who don’t play poker

We came in from different locations, me arriving from Seattle around noon. I touched down and immediately went to the Excalibur room to play the 2/6 spread game, which remains my favorite room in Vegas. Played for a couple of hours – during the day the game was a mix of dumb tourists and solid older regulars. Won $20, with no real memorable hands to speak up. The room itself is very large, with maybe 20 tables, and was pretty full even on a Thursday afternoon. The also spread a 1/3 game and a couple of NL tables. The 1/3 is ridiculous with 8 callers to a hand. Cocktail service is good, dealers competent. I never got to spin the wheel, which is their gimmick for a quads or better or if you get Aces cracked. Prizes vary from $20 to $300 bucks.

Next up I went over to the Mandalay Bay, which has a beautiful room. Lowest they spread is 4/8 with a half kill. I bought in for $200 and had a good run, making $75 or so in a hour of play, almost all of it when my A/7 went from top pair to top two pair to a full house, and I was called the whole way. Sunk $60 of into an entry for the NL evening tourney.

The Mandalay Bay 6 p.m. tourney is a 30 person freeze out – the rake is pretty high, with $8 going the house and another $2 to the dealers, but the structure isn’t bad, with a decent amount of time before blinds get too crazy, especially compared to the crap shoots at the Luxor. Took a big hit early, clawed my way back, and was feeling good sitting at the final table with the top five paying. But the other guy hit his flush draw (in retrospect I shouldn’t have let him draw so cheap) and I was out in eight place. We got drunk and hit Club RA, which was full-on wild. Awesome DJs, hot crowd, good time.

Didn’t get much play in on Friday. Lost money on table games (dumb, dumb, dumb) but it was just a drop in the bucket compared to what we dropped at Spearmint Rhino.

Had some money to make on Saturday, so settled in for a lengthy session at the Excalibur, with the Jets game on a huge screen behind me. Had a relatively tough table, and I should have asked for a change, but was having fun. Played for something like four hours, and cashed out up about $50. Meanwhile, my buddy tore up the NL game at the Palms, making over $600.

Saturday night we hit downtown. I hadn’t been to downtown in years, since before I was a poker player, and walking into Binions felt like hallowed ground. No bad beats, no high hand, just table and tables of poker, and a wall of fame of previous WSOP winners. I wanted to sit with my buddy for at least a little while, so I bought into the NL game. Blinds were 1/2 , minimum buy in was $100, no maximum. A no max buy in NL game is no place for low-rollers like me. Several players were sitting behind well over $1000, and on the fourth hand a guy lost at least $700 when his two pair lost to a set. After about 20 minutes, I find AJ hearts from mid position, and make it $20 to go. For some reason this fails to intimidate these guys, and I get three callers. Flop is a K of spades, Jack of diamonds, and another spade. I bet another $30, (leaving me with about $40), two callers. Turn is blank, and I’m all in, hoping they are on a draw. I’m right about one of them, wrong about the other. His King sends me scurrying back to the 2/4 game, head bowed in shame. My buddy ran his $100 up to $300, but had that all taken away shortly after. 2/4 game was OK, but I’d only slept about 8 hours the whole trip, so I wasn’t at my sharpest. I broke even, taking home a Binion chip as a cool souvenir. Home early Sunday A.M., already looking forward to my next one.

[Aequitas58]

Broke even? Well whatever... you tried to make a move in a NL game, and it didn't work out. Sounds like you had a great time, and I can't wait to get out there. How would Vegas be with a girlfriend?? LOL. I doubt I would get much poker time.

Do you ever play in AC?

[BrianSwa]

cool trip sounds like you had fun, as for girlfriends and stuff with you. I can tell you from experience not really a great idea if they dont play, they put you off your game if there not doing anything in the casino. Last trip I took my wife and had to worry about her because she had lost her money and was just sitting outside the poker room. Invited her to stand behind me while I played so she wouldnt be bored, that was a even worse idea I could feel her stareing at me like "hurry the hell up brian". Keep in mind though this was in Atlantic City, dont know maybe Vegas would be different.

[Aequitas58]

So she lost money and was bored? To keep her from being bored, you invite her to stand behind you while you play poker. She must have been thrilled.

[BrianSwa]

I felt better having her there instead of out in the lobby and actully she enjoys watching the game, she showed intrest that day and started learning to play shortly after. Also I do stuff all the time for her (like follow her around while she shops in Nasau) so dont think she minded doing this for me.

[eddo31]

i am not sure if it is a good or bad thing that my girlfriend plays poker. on the one hand, she doesnt mind whatsoever that i play. on the other, she has a better paying job than i do, and more disposable income, so she plays higher limits, and she doesnt necessarily have the ability to be a consistent winner there. she is pretty good, but her main problem is playing in games that are too big for her.

plus, she has some serious impulse control issues, which arent particularly good when you are sitting down at the table.

all in all though, i would say that it is a plus. anytime you can have a girlfriend that is as excited about a vegas trip as you are is definitely a good thing.

[2Tone]

The way I figure it, there are a thousand great places to take my wife. The beach, a cabin in the woods, the theater, whatever. But there are only a couple of places in the world with 1000 poker tables and twice as many strippers. And for those, I’ll leave her at home, and make it up to her next weekend.

[eddo31]

well put

[BrianSwa]

well put, but I do have to admit I like my wife having intrest in something I love so much.