midas
09-13-2004, 07:39 PM
Arrive in LV Thursday noon from New York. Checked into the new all-suite tower ("The Hotel") at Mandalay Bay. The room was great - Embassy Suite size with better furnishing. Plasma TV in the living room was nice but overrated (no HD, bad signal feeds) very comfortable room for 2 and could also work well for 3.
Thursday - played 4-8 at MB's poker room for about 5 hrs while simultaneously watching the Pats/Indy game on the big screens next to the sportsbook. Does life get any better? Amazing moment - a standing ovation in the sportsbook at the start of the NFL Season - It brought a tear to my eye /images/graemlins/wink.gif. Note: watching exciting football and playing poker is definitely -EV - down $40. Dinner at Nine Steakhouse at the Palms then Rain , Ghost Bar and Palms craps tables (up $300) until 3:00. Back to MB poker until 6:00 am (9:00 am eastern) up $120 busting local nocturnal players. MB note: The quarters for the rake on the table were really annoying after a while.
MB poker note - 4-8 with 1/2 kill is lame, there are rarely kill pots (2 wins in row triggers kill) and 2 kills in a row happens once every 5 hours - they should switch to pot size like Foxwoods. I used to think the 1/2 blind structure was stupid as well but I've adjusted my play to be more aggressive post-flop to try to punish the long shot draws.
Friday: Wake up at noon. Buffet until 2:00. Then hit the Mirage for 3-6 and 6-12 action. This is a well run room with friendly local players. Played 5 hours- up $140. Dinner at Nobu in the Hardrock and more craps (down $150) until 2:00 then back to MB for more poker. Friday night at MB poker had a better tourist crowd and played drunken 4-8 with a table full of bachelor party guys and only 2 locals. Amazing momemt - groom to be (not me) wins a $300+ pot with an Ace high flush (pocket Aces) over King (pocket Kings) high flush (runner runner for the flush) eight way action until the river - Kings dude (local) steams the entire night. Hit the bed at 7:30 am about breakeven.
Saturday: Can't really sleep - wake up around 12:00 another buffet marathon to ease the hangover. 2 rookies in our group decide that they are done with blackjack and want to play poker. Needing a 2-4 table we head to Monte Carlo. Played 4-8 while watching the scary artwork in the room look back at me - I'm barely coherent and lose $80. This room is way too small and crowded with cranky locals. One witch on my left was cursing the dealer and other players under her rotten breath for about an hour until I told her to shut the F-up I'm trying to enjoy my vacation in LV. Sleep thru my dinner res at Rum Jungle then meet my friends there for late night drinking. Back to the poker room and more poker with the same bachelor party guys (up $200) until morning.
Sunday: Have breakfast then place football action - sleep thru most of the games. Dinner at Border Grill then more poker at MB with mostly cranky locals (up $30) until 1:00 am.
Overall great time in LV as usual, never went to Bellagio (played there before) due to posts regarding long lines (I get enough of that at Foxwoods). Can't wait to go back /images/graemlins/cool.gif
Thursday - played 4-8 at MB's poker room for about 5 hrs while simultaneously watching the Pats/Indy game on the big screens next to the sportsbook. Does life get any better? Amazing moment - a standing ovation in the sportsbook at the start of the NFL Season - It brought a tear to my eye /images/graemlins/wink.gif. Note: watching exciting football and playing poker is definitely -EV - down $40. Dinner at Nine Steakhouse at the Palms then Rain , Ghost Bar and Palms craps tables (up $300) until 3:00. Back to MB poker until 6:00 am (9:00 am eastern) up $120 busting local nocturnal players. MB note: The quarters for the rake on the table were really annoying after a while.
MB poker note - 4-8 with 1/2 kill is lame, there are rarely kill pots (2 wins in row triggers kill) and 2 kills in a row happens once every 5 hours - they should switch to pot size like Foxwoods. I used to think the 1/2 blind structure was stupid as well but I've adjusted my play to be more aggressive post-flop to try to punish the long shot draws.
Friday: Wake up at noon. Buffet until 2:00. Then hit the Mirage for 3-6 and 6-12 action. This is a well run room with friendly local players. Played 5 hours- up $140. Dinner at Nobu in the Hardrock and more craps (down $150) until 2:00 then back to MB for more poker. Friday night at MB poker had a better tourist crowd and played drunken 4-8 with a table full of bachelor party guys and only 2 locals. Amazing momemt - groom to be (not me) wins a $300+ pot with an Ace high flush (pocket Aces) over King (pocket Kings) high flush (runner runner for the flush) eight way action until the river - Kings dude (local) steams the entire night. Hit the bed at 7:30 am about breakeven.
Saturday: Can't really sleep - wake up around 12:00 another buffet marathon to ease the hangover. 2 rookies in our group decide that they are done with blackjack and want to play poker. Needing a 2-4 table we head to Monte Carlo. Played 4-8 while watching the scary artwork in the room look back at me - I'm barely coherent and lose $80. This room is way too small and crowded with cranky locals. One witch on my left was cursing the dealer and other players under her rotten breath for about an hour until I told her to shut the F-up I'm trying to enjoy my vacation in LV. Sleep thru my dinner res at Rum Jungle then meet my friends there for late night drinking. Back to the poker room and more poker with the same bachelor party guys (up $200) until morning.
Sunday: Have breakfast then place football action - sleep thru most of the games. Dinner at Border Grill then more poker at MB with mostly cranky locals (up $30) until 1:00 am.
Overall great time in LV as usual, never went to Bellagio (played there before) due to posts regarding long lines (I get enough of that at Foxwoods). Can't wait to go back /images/graemlins/cool.gif