CMP
04-02-2003, 04:57 PM
Arrived Vegas on Sunday, March 23rd, approximately 9pm. Stayed at Sun Coast.
I played 2 hours of $5 double-deck blackjack and headed back to the room +$60 and +1 Heineken.
After a brief morning nap, we checked out by noon and hit the road for the Grand Canyon. We only made it to Boulder Station, though, where we decided to stop for lunch, rather than getting fast food on the road. We had lunch at their coffee shop, which was surprisingly good. On the way back to the car, I walked by the poker room to check it out. My intent for this trip was to play in as many different rooms as I could, and also to check out/walk by as many more as I could. Well, this turned out to be the only walk-by I made, as we wound up spending very little time on the strip (or off-strip casinos with poker rooms) after all. At 1pm on a Monday afternoon, Boulder Station had 4 games going, with a list for some or all games – 1 stud, 1 HE, 2 O8, all white-chip.
*Snip Grand Canyon details Monday and Tuesday – it was excellent, a true “must-see.”*
We made it back to Vegas around 3:30 Wednesday and found a friend at the Orleans. He was on a bit of a rush, winning a few hundred over his buy in at blackjack. But his rush was only just beginning. We jumped on a $5 table together, as we were both waiting for the Limit Hold Em tournament at 7pm. While I was winning $40 in 2 hours, the rest of the crew started rolling in. Another friend arrived before the tournament, and so we all grabbed dinner at the café. The selections from the Chinese menu were very good. On to the much-anticipated tournament. I drew the UTG seat at my table. 3rd hand, in my SB, I find AA and raise about 6 limpers. AA did not hold up to a flopped set of 3s. Not a good way to start. I should’ve rebought before I did, because I found the QhJx and limped in with many others, found a flop of Ah-Kh-Jx, turn of 10x. With the nut straight, another Q brought me all-in, but I was freerolling to the 4th heart, which came on the end, giving me the nut flush. I could’ve won many more bets, if I’d had more chips in front of me. Moral: if you plan to rebuy, do it as soon as you can. I had T120 at the break and rebought and added-on (so now $53 total in for this tourney), and I had no memorable hands until my all-in. I had A8o and was called by A2s – his flush came in on a board of A-J-9-9-8 (so we would’ve split at best). IGHN about the 30th to go down (field of 116 or so). First place paid $1200, 2nd place $750, down to 10th place at $120. After the tournament, I got into a new $1-4-8-8 game while we waited for James to arrive. Only one memorable hand in the 30 minutes or so I played. I had AJo in the BB and checked with several limpers and the SB completing (see my thread on the Small Stakes board “How to play AJo from the blinds”). Flop was A-Q-x. I bet out, only the SB called. Turn was a harmless 4, and the SB check-raised me. I knew I was beat, but I called and called his bet on the end and was shown Q4 for 2-pair. That hand cost me $30 out of the $53 I lost in this short session. I was limited by time, though (another friend had arrived, and everyone wanted to go back to the house where we were staying), and so I had to pick up and go (though the game seemed pretty easy – I feel I could’ve gotten the $ back).
Thursday was slated as a non-gaming day. I got in about 45 minutes of $5 blackjack at Rampart Casino, while waiting for my Grand Canyon photos to be developed. +$20.
Friday morning, I planned to play in the noon Omaha/8 tourney at Orleans. My friend decided not to play, so after registering, I sat down at a $10 Pai Gow table with him. We both got streaks going – him winning, me losing. After about 45 minutes, I left down $50, and while I played in the tourney, he won $150 before switching to roulette. I thought that you were supposed to push-push-push in Pai Gow. Anyway, sometime during the tournament, my friend switched to roulette and hit the number 23 5 times, which he also always had surrounded. By the time I finished the tourney, he was up $500 or more for the trip, all on –EV games (blackjack, Pai Gow, and roulette).
Meanwhile, I was playing in the O/8 tourney. I had a great time. Much more fun than the limit HE tourney (maybe because of the novelty, as I don’t usually get to play Omaha). And there was river suckout after river suckout, putting many on the losing end on good-natured tilt (fun table). Some key hands (sorry I don’t remember all the details): I had AAxx in my hand, flopped an A-5-big, turn big brick, river 2 to lose the whole thing to 34 for the wheel. I had A9 in my hand, flop was 9-9-x, no low possible, I lose to the river 2-outer 10 (to someone with 10-10 in their hand). Right after the break, where I told my friend I needed a scoop to stay alive, I did. In the BB, I get a free play w/ 3479. Flop is A-2-6, so I’m calling the whole way with the nut low. Didn’t notice that the turn was a 10 and the river an 8, giving me nut-nut high and low. More than doubled up. I get a look in the blind with J9xx. Flop J-9-x, all spades. I fold to the action, and the winner had a baby flush (no low possible) – of course another jack came on the end. I went out w/2-3-4-6 double suited, no A for my low, and the winner had nut-nut high and low. I went out with approximately 30 players left out of 76 starters. Fun fun. I consoled myself by winning $30 back at $5 blackjack.
Before sending 2 of the 5 off to the airport on Saturday, we hit a $5 blackjack table at Sun Coast, where, in the worst session of the trip, I lost $90. The non-gamblers were not impressed with our results. The White Russians were good though.
After dropping them off at the airport, we hit the poker room at Excalibur. We played in the $2-6 game (all streets with a single $2 blind), a great beginner’s game that you can play for a long time on a small buy-in. We had a really fun table, playing with a former major league pitcher for the Dodgers (named Walkton) and 4 college buddies from Ohio, including a lawyer (named Sumi). We had a good old time, and the catch phrase that was going around was “for the love of the game.” Like, “eh, I’ll just play this one for the love of the game.” “No love here” (folds), etc. A great time messing around, and boy did these players love to draw at (and mostly miss) inside straights, flushes, etc. KK held up twice, 1010 twice, I flopped a set of 7s, flush came on the turn, and my pair came on the river to suck out on the nut flush (we went 3 bets on the river). I was sucked out on similarly by Walkton (I had KQ diamonds, flop came all diamonds, turn paired the board). A fun, friendly game, an easy $4 food comp, and I won $92 in 4 hours. After dinner in the Italian restaurant there at Excalibur (good food, and a small discount with the comps), we headed over to the Mirage for the $3-6 game.
Immediate seating upon arrival at 11pm on a Saturday night. I found a soft, friendly game, mostly passive with occasional aggression shown from others. There was one mega-fish who came into the game, a German tourist with her husband behind her. She had learned the game, apparently, a while back and was re-learning it. For her, relearning meant playing every hand and calling every bet and showing down bottom pair or busted straight draws against obvious flushes or big pairs, etc. I went fairly card dead during this time, and when I did find a hand against her, she turned a set of Qs to take down my A8s which didn’t flush but 2-paired. I won $30 for the 4 hour session, largely due to a set of Js I made with several people paying me off all the way (including the German). As the night went on, the game got more aggressive as new locals came in, plus a tourist who had busted out of $20-40 and was waiting for his friend who was still playing. I isolated him 2 hands in a row, but wouldn’t you know, he actually had hands those times. Other times he would raise and raise and then muck without showing on the river if called down. Our table broke around 3, and there were seats in other games, but I decided to quit with the small profit rather than get to know a bunch of new players.
Sunday morning, my friends slept in and I went to the Luxor noon tournament. I won some hands up top, then lost a big one 2 pair vs. a 4-straight on the board. The blinds go up there so quickly, I had to find some hands. Lo and behold, QQ and JJ with one hand in between, and they both held up. I made it to the final table and drew the big blind. I was the short stack of the 11 (I think 6 up get paid), and needed to double up soon. First hand at the final table, someone raised all-in from late position (2nd short stack), and I find presto in my BB. I call all-in for less, and he flips up Q-10o. Wouldn’t you know it, a Q and a 10 for good measure come on the flop, and that’s it for me. Sunday afternoon was spent cleaning the house we had stayed in and heading over to the Orleans to check in for our final night in town. Friends headed off to a movie at the Orleans (Dreamcatcher – said it was good), and I took myself to the Bellagio for some $4-8.
There were about 4 people ahead of me on the list, so I sat down at a VP machine right outside the room. I cashed out what seemed like only 5 minutes later after hitting 5 of a kind, and I had already missed my name. There were now like 6 people ahead of me, so I got back on the list and cashed in my $17.50 winner on quarter VP. When I got in the game, it was a bit tough to figure out. I guess I’d call it very loose-aggressive. Many hands were 3 bet pre-flop (didn’t see a cap, though). One 3-bettor showed down J9o for a winning straight, I think. My 2nd hand in, in my SB, I had AJo. UTG open raised, and I folded (see that thread on the other board, again). Of course the flop came J-J-x. Later, I held 66 and it was 3-bet 5 ways pre-flop, then bet and called to me on the 9-9-J flop. I folded. Turn was a 6, putting a bullet through my heart – HUGE pot. I lost $94 in a 2-hour session. While I was there, I heard them call Johnny and Devilfish for an $80-160 HE game.
After Sunday night poker, it was more local gaming at Orleans and some White Russians to put us to sleep. I lost $20 at roulette, then won $55 at blackjack. After my final cashout, I found 5 quarters in my pocket and played one hand of jacks-or-better video poker – I hit a full house, 55 quarters, so I had to return to cash out my $13.75 winner. Asleep by 5am, up by 7am. Caught a 10:30 am flight and made it back to Chicago on Monday safely. Gambling net for the trip = -$94, not bad, considering the amount and variety of games I played. Totals by game: blackjack +$105; poker ring games -$25; poker tournaments = -$123; roulette = -$20; pai gow = -$50; video poker = +$31.25
I played 2 hours of $5 double-deck blackjack and headed back to the room +$60 and +1 Heineken.
After a brief morning nap, we checked out by noon and hit the road for the Grand Canyon. We only made it to Boulder Station, though, where we decided to stop for lunch, rather than getting fast food on the road. We had lunch at their coffee shop, which was surprisingly good. On the way back to the car, I walked by the poker room to check it out. My intent for this trip was to play in as many different rooms as I could, and also to check out/walk by as many more as I could. Well, this turned out to be the only walk-by I made, as we wound up spending very little time on the strip (or off-strip casinos with poker rooms) after all. At 1pm on a Monday afternoon, Boulder Station had 4 games going, with a list for some or all games – 1 stud, 1 HE, 2 O8, all white-chip.
*Snip Grand Canyon details Monday and Tuesday – it was excellent, a true “must-see.”*
We made it back to Vegas around 3:30 Wednesday and found a friend at the Orleans. He was on a bit of a rush, winning a few hundred over his buy in at blackjack. But his rush was only just beginning. We jumped on a $5 table together, as we were both waiting for the Limit Hold Em tournament at 7pm. While I was winning $40 in 2 hours, the rest of the crew started rolling in. Another friend arrived before the tournament, and so we all grabbed dinner at the café. The selections from the Chinese menu were very good. On to the much-anticipated tournament. I drew the UTG seat at my table. 3rd hand, in my SB, I find AA and raise about 6 limpers. AA did not hold up to a flopped set of 3s. Not a good way to start. I should’ve rebought before I did, because I found the QhJx and limped in with many others, found a flop of Ah-Kh-Jx, turn of 10x. With the nut straight, another Q brought me all-in, but I was freerolling to the 4th heart, which came on the end, giving me the nut flush. I could’ve won many more bets, if I’d had more chips in front of me. Moral: if you plan to rebuy, do it as soon as you can. I had T120 at the break and rebought and added-on (so now $53 total in for this tourney), and I had no memorable hands until my all-in. I had A8o and was called by A2s – his flush came in on a board of A-J-9-9-8 (so we would’ve split at best). IGHN about the 30th to go down (field of 116 or so). First place paid $1200, 2nd place $750, down to 10th place at $120. After the tournament, I got into a new $1-4-8-8 game while we waited for James to arrive. Only one memorable hand in the 30 minutes or so I played. I had AJo in the BB and checked with several limpers and the SB completing (see my thread on the Small Stakes board “How to play AJo from the blinds”). Flop was A-Q-x. I bet out, only the SB called. Turn was a harmless 4, and the SB check-raised me. I knew I was beat, but I called and called his bet on the end and was shown Q4 for 2-pair. That hand cost me $30 out of the $53 I lost in this short session. I was limited by time, though (another friend had arrived, and everyone wanted to go back to the house where we were staying), and so I had to pick up and go (though the game seemed pretty easy – I feel I could’ve gotten the $ back).
Thursday was slated as a non-gaming day. I got in about 45 minutes of $5 blackjack at Rampart Casino, while waiting for my Grand Canyon photos to be developed. +$20.
Friday morning, I planned to play in the noon Omaha/8 tourney at Orleans. My friend decided not to play, so after registering, I sat down at a $10 Pai Gow table with him. We both got streaks going – him winning, me losing. After about 45 minutes, I left down $50, and while I played in the tourney, he won $150 before switching to roulette. I thought that you were supposed to push-push-push in Pai Gow. Anyway, sometime during the tournament, my friend switched to roulette and hit the number 23 5 times, which he also always had surrounded. By the time I finished the tourney, he was up $500 or more for the trip, all on –EV games (blackjack, Pai Gow, and roulette).
Meanwhile, I was playing in the O/8 tourney. I had a great time. Much more fun than the limit HE tourney (maybe because of the novelty, as I don’t usually get to play Omaha). And there was river suckout after river suckout, putting many on the losing end on good-natured tilt (fun table). Some key hands (sorry I don’t remember all the details): I had AAxx in my hand, flopped an A-5-big, turn big brick, river 2 to lose the whole thing to 34 for the wheel. I had A9 in my hand, flop was 9-9-x, no low possible, I lose to the river 2-outer 10 (to someone with 10-10 in their hand). Right after the break, where I told my friend I needed a scoop to stay alive, I did. In the BB, I get a free play w/ 3479. Flop is A-2-6, so I’m calling the whole way with the nut low. Didn’t notice that the turn was a 10 and the river an 8, giving me nut-nut high and low. More than doubled up. I get a look in the blind with J9xx. Flop J-9-x, all spades. I fold to the action, and the winner had a baby flush (no low possible) – of course another jack came on the end. I went out w/2-3-4-6 double suited, no A for my low, and the winner had nut-nut high and low. I went out with approximately 30 players left out of 76 starters. Fun fun. I consoled myself by winning $30 back at $5 blackjack.
Before sending 2 of the 5 off to the airport on Saturday, we hit a $5 blackjack table at Sun Coast, where, in the worst session of the trip, I lost $90. The non-gamblers were not impressed with our results. The White Russians were good though.
After dropping them off at the airport, we hit the poker room at Excalibur. We played in the $2-6 game (all streets with a single $2 blind), a great beginner’s game that you can play for a long time on a small buy-in. We had a really fun table, playing with a former major league pitcher for the Dodgers (named Walkton) and 4 college buddies from Ohio, including a lawyer (named Sumi). We had a good old time, and the catch phrase that was going around was “for the love of the game.” Like, “eh, I’ll just play this one for the love of the game.” “No love here” (folds), etc. A great time messing around, and boy did these players love to draw at (and mostly miss) inside straights, flushes, etc. KK held up twice, 1010 twice, I flopped a set of 7s, flush came on the turn, and my pair came on the river to suck out on the nut flush (we went 3 bets on the river). I was sucked out on similarly by Walkton (I had KQ diamonds, flop came all diamonds, turn paired the board). A fun, friendly game, an easy $4 food comp, and I won $92 in 4 hours. After dinner in the Italian restaurant there at Excalibur (good food, and a small discount with the comps), we headed over to the Mirage for the $3-6 game.
Immediate seating upon arrival at 11pm on a Saturday night. I found a soft, friendly game, mostly passive with occasional aggression shown from others. There was one mega-fish who came into the game, a German tourist with her husband behind her. She had learned the game, apparently, a while back and was re-learning it. For her, relearning meant playing every hand and calling every bet and showing down bottom pair or busted straight draws against obvious flushes or big pairs, etc. I went fairly card dead during this time, and when I did find a hand against her, she turned a set of Qs to take down my A8s which didn’t flush but 2-paired. I won $30 for the 4 hour session, largely due to a set of Js I made with several people paying me off all the way (including the German). As the night went on, the game got more aggressive as new locals came in, plus a tourist who had busted out of $20-40 and was waiting for his friend who was still playing. I isolated him 2 hands in a row, but wouldn’t you know, he actually had hands those times. Other times he would raise and raise and then muck without showing on the river if called down. Our table broke around 3, and there were seats in other games, but I decided to quit with the small profit rather than get to know a bunch of new players.
Sunday morning, my friends slept in and I went to the Luxor noon tournament. I won some hands up top, then lost a big one 2 pair vs. a 4-straight on the board. The blinds go up there so quickly, I had to find some hands. Lo and behold, QQ and JJ with one hand in between, and they both held up. I made it to the final table and drew the big blind. I was the short stack of the 11 (I think 6 up get paid), and needed to double up soon. First hand at the final table, someone raised all-in from late position (2nd short stack), and I find presto in my BB. I call all-in for less, and he flips up Q-10o. Wouldn’t you know it, a Q and a 10 for good measure come on the flop, and that’s it for me. Sunday afternoon was spent cleaning the house we had stayed in and heading over to the Orleans to check in for our final night in town. Friends headed off to a movie at the Orleans (Dreamcatcher – said it was good), and I took myself to the Bellagio for some $4-8.
There were about 4 people ahead of me on the list, so I sat down at a VP machine right outside the room. I cashed out what seemed like only 5 minutes later after hitting 5 of a kind, and I had already missed my name. There were now like 6 people ahead of me, so I got back on the list and cashed in my $17.50 winner on quarter VP. When I got in the game, it was a bit tough to figure out. I guess I’d call it very loose-aggressive. Many hands were 3 bet pre-flop (didn’t see a cap, though). One 3-bettor showed down J9o for a winning straight, I think. My 2nd hand in, in my SB, I had AJo. UTG open raised, and I folded (see that thread on the other board, again). Of course the flop came J-J-x. Later, I held 66 and it was 3-bet 5 ways pre-flop, then bet and called to me on the 9-9-J flop. I folded. Turn was a 6, putting a bullet through my heart – HUGE pot. I lost $94 in a 2-hour session. While I was there, I heard them call Johnny and Devilfish for an $80-160 HE game.
After Sunday night poker, it was more local gaming at Orleans and some White Russians to put us to sleep. I lost $20 at roulette, then won $55 at blackjack. After my final cashout, I found 5 quarters in my pocket and played one hand of jacks-or-better video poker – I hit a full house, 55 quarters, so I had to return to cash out my $13.75 winner. Asleep by 5am, up by 7am. Caught a 10:30 am flight and made it back to Chicago on Monday safely. Gambling net for the trip = -$94, not bad, considering the amount and variety of games I played. Totals by game: blackjack +$105; poker ring games -$25; poker tournaments = -$123; roulette = -$20; pai gow = -$50; video poker = +$31.25