Xpost - Vegas Day 1 Report: MGM (long)

[2planka]

Cross posted to NVG forum. Future reports will be in that forum only.

After a long five hour flight with a screaming baby two rows in front of me, the Trout party arrived at MGM to find that our suite was not yet ready.... at 12:00 a.m. local time (3:00 Trout Standard Time).

Checked the bags and decided to check out the MGM poker room. What a room! It is very modern, with a serpentine layout on the lower level. Lots of space between tables, and the tables are high tech, with auto shufflers, seating charts, and floor communications built in electronically. The color scheme and decor are right out of Architectural Digest - deep chocolate, silvers, and burgundy colors. Huge plasma TV's are plentiful, and the electronic board is a big improvement over the clipboards at other rooms.

I'm not crazy about the Corian/faux marble runner around the outside of the tables, mainly because the color scheme makes it tough to see if an opponent has cards (the runner is the same color as the cards.... maybe MGM shoud change the color of the cards?).

Also, the room is located near a nightclub. The music was very loud - so much so that I couldn't hear my cell phone ringing at the table. The eye candy passing by made up for this somewhat.

I was pretty tired, having been up for 22 hours already, so I decided on 4-8 limit HE to pass a little time. I get TT in the BB on my first hand, flop a set, turn a boat, and get three customers. Next time in the BB I hold J9o, six limpers, and I end up making quad jacks and get paid off in two spots. The game was a great mix of a couple drunks, a couple hotshots, and a couple magoos. Typical 4/8, 5-6 loose passive players to most flops, willing to chase away, playing their cards only. Logged a 4 hour session, up over $200.

Off to the crib for three hours, then back to the MGM room to play the baby NL game with my buddy Stan. Very loose, decent game, with a good lineup of young bucs with deep pockets. Would have been a great game if I could catch some cards. Cold decked for the first hour. I get caught on a semibluff with A8s. I fire a half pot bet when the flush misses, and my opponent calls with K high (?). MHIG, and the advertising gets me a little action later on.

Meanwhile, my buddy Stan burns through $200 over five hours. His AQ gets run down by Q5s. His AA gets popped by 75o. There's this one kid at the table who open raises to $25 any time he has a pocket pair (the blinds in this game are 1-2). Stan catches QQ, Mr. Overbet makes it $25 to go, and Stan and puts the kid all in. Kid holds 55 and spikes his 2 outer. Stan heads off to play craps. I'm ahead just $85 or so and need a change.

I get on the list for the 10 game and get seated next to Jim Brier, co-author of Mid limit HE, on my immediate right. He's there checking out the room, slumming with us at the 10 game. He's a very pleasant guy and enjoys table chat.

About three hours in, Jim puts the suckout on me. Five players to the flop. I'm on the button with A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and limp in. Flop is 7s/3d/4h. Checked to Jim. He bets, I raise, BB and MP1 cold call, Jim calls. Turn is As. I lead out, all call. River is the 8s. I bet, two callers, Jim raises, I think about reraising but chicken out and call. Jim shows Js9s for a backdoor flush. I lose a big one.

I get it back a couple hands later when my Q7s BB special flops an open ended draw that gets there on the turn.

The game was much tougher than the FW 10 game. Along with Brier, there were 4 other solid players - players much better than me.

I did my best to avoid them, but I kept catching cards on this one guy's blind. He was in the 8 seat. I catch JJ with only one limper in front and raise. 8 seat guy pipes up "are you gonna raise my blind every time?" Flop is all babies and MHIG. After the hand, the autoshuffler jammed and the dealer couldn't get the door open. Dealer asks if anyone has a key or something to open the door. Mr. 8 seat reaches into his pocket and pulls out an 8" long buck knife, which does the job. I apologize for raising his blinds.

Fellow 2+2er Gator stops by my table. He's been crushing the 1-2 NL game. We were planning to hit Binions together for their 8:00 tourney, but we're both just too tired. We plan on meeting in the MGM room later.

I had some swings in the 10 game, and frankly the competition was over my head. I was getting pretty tired, so I checked out of the game around 6:30 p.m. I rack up $583, down $17.

Room service, a hot shower, and four hours in the crib and I'm ready to hit the tables again. What day is it?

[NJchick]

Excellent Trip Report.

Im heading to Vegas and 2 weeks and looking forward to checking out the new poker room at the MGM.

Were there any Omaha games?

NJC

[Scoobytx]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the room is located near a nightclub. The music was very loud - so much so that I couldn't hear my cell phone ringing at the table. The eye candy passing by made up for this somewhat.

[/ QUOTE ]The music at night is definitely preferable to the random faux jungle noise from the Rainforest Cafe that dominates during the day. Plus, there's no eye candy to make up for it.

[ThaHero]

No debauchery?

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
Excellent Trip Report.

Im heading to Vegas and 2 weeks and looking forward to checking out the new poker room at the MGM.

Were there any Omaha games?

NJC

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta be kidding right? Vegas doesn't even know what the word Omaha means now. Sad.... so sad....

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[GreywolfNYC]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Excellent Trip Report.

Im heading to Vegas and 2 weeks and looking forward to checking out the new poker room at the MGM.

Were there any Omaha games?

NJC

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta be kidding right? Vegas doesn't even know what the word Omaha means now. Sad.... so sad....

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you mean, TT? They spread O8 at the Mirage.

[NJchick]

Al Capone was kind enough to give me the heads up on the Omaha scene. Sadly no O8 at MGM. I'll have to haul myself over to the Mirage, Bellagio or Orleans.

I stayed / played at the Bellagio last time and that 20/40 O8 game was the really g00t.

NJC

[nuSFwck]

Entertaining post, Trout.

I recently made my first pilgrimage to the Holy City and it was amazing. Here at school, if I sleep four hours a night I need to take the following day off from classes to catch up on Z's. I think I slept a MAX of 4 hours a night in Vegas, and still managed to gamble for atleast 10 hours a day. Waking up at 1pm with screaming hangovers has never felt so beautiful.

A couple notes....did the MGM finish their new sportsbook yet? I heard they were trying to get it running for the Madness but I was gone by then. It looked like it had the potential to be badass.
Also, the Palms has similiar tables with the funny finish around the edge of the table. I didn't like it much, either. FYI, a few regulars at the Mirage 2-5NL game told me the Palms $2/5 game is quite weak...I played there soon after they mentioned this and I agree. Super aggressive Asians super willing to give their money away, IMO. Check it out if you get a chance.

Enjoy your trip.

[Scoobytx]

MGM had 10/20 Omaha when I was there Monday. Not O8, but they did have Omaha.