Tourney Play in Downtown Vegas

[willperkins]

I wasn't sure if I should post here on on MMT, but since I see a lot of 2+2ers asking about tourney action in Vegas, I thought I would share my latest trip.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a very good player. I have only been playing about two years and have a lot to learn. That being said, I went to Vegas in July 04 and again in Nov. 04 and managed to finish in the money in a couple of tourneys. Enough to make we want to try again. Therefore, I decided to go and concentrate on tourneys and nothing else. Below is a day by day result of my play:

There are pleny of tourneys downtown every day, so I never even ventured out to the strip:

Golden Nugget: 11:00 am and 7:00 pm
Binions: 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Plaza: 12:00 noon, 4:00 pm, 8:00 pm and midnight

Sunday, January 16th:

Arrived at Binions around 10:00 am and checked my bag as the rooms would not be ready until 3:00 pm. Went to the Golden Nugget and signed up for the 11:00 am tourney. There was a $60 buy-in that got you $1500 in chips. You could also add one $40 rebuy in the 1st hour that got you another $1500 in chips as well as one $40 add-on at the end of the 1st hour for $1500 in chips. Fifty-one players signed up to play and it paid the top seven positions (1st prize was $1746). At the Golden Nugget the first hour of play is limit hold'em and then a break. They play 20 minutes rounds and the blinds start at 25/50, then 50/100 then 100/200. After a 20 minute break, it switches to no limit and the blinds go to 200/400 which IMHO is way to larger of a jump.
I did not make the rebuy, but did take the $40 add on after the first hour. I did not play particulary well and at about 1:30 pm was out of they tourney in 27th place.

I went back to Binions and checked into my room, unpacked, got something to eat and decided to play in the 8:00 pm tourney at Binions.

On weekend nights, Binions buy-ins are higher than the week days. On Sunday night it was a $150 buy in for $1500 plus you could get one rebuy of $1500 in chips for another $100. I joined 39 other players and ponied up $150. Because I thought I was not playing well earlier, I decided to tighten up my play and wait for good cards. I certainly did that because I did not play a single hand until right before the first break at 9:00 pm when I picked up KK and ended up all-in preflop only to run into AA and I finished 38th. I was so tired from travel, was not catching cards and was not playing very well, so I decided to forgo the rebuy and call it a night. The blind structure is much friendler at Binions. They too has 20 minute rounds beginning at 25/50, 50/100, 100/200. But then after the break they stay at 100/200 and add a $25 ante (much better than the Golden Nugget). They also have a huge tv screen that lets you know how much time is left in each round, how many players are remaining, the next blind structure as well as the payoffs.

sunday totals:

-$250


Monday, January 17th

Back to the Golden Nugget at 11:00 am. Bought in for $60 and made the $40 add-on after the first hour. Forty-three players were in and it would pay 6 positions (1st prize $1544). I played a little better today and made the final table. However, I was short stacked and ended up going all in from the SB when everyone folded to me with T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. The BB called my raise with 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and got two eights on the flop.

I decided to play in the 4:00 PM tourney at the Plaza. For $60 you got $1500 (maybe $2000, I can't remember)in chips. You could make one $50 rebuy for $1500 more chips. Thirty-four others and I bought in. I also took the rebuy at the end of the 1st hour making it a $110 investment. The Plaza's blind structure is similar to Binions except they do not use the ante. They too have a big screen tv that shows the time left in each round, blind structure and number of players remaining. This tourney paid the top five places (1st place was $1125). I finished 5th making the money for the first time. Unfortunately it only paid $125. It took me four hours of play and I had a profit of $15. It was almost 8:00 PM and I was hungry so I decided to pass on Binion's tourney.

Mondays totals: -$85
Trip totals: -$335

Tuesday, January 18th

Back to the Golden Nuggett at 11:00 am. I bought in for $60 and took the $40 add on for a $100 investment. Thirty-five players were involved and I played horribly and finished 29th.

At 2:00 pm I tried Binions. During the weekdays their tounement buy ins are $70 for $1500 in chips and one $40 add-on will get you an extra $1500 in chips. There were 83 entries into the tourney and it would pay the final 10 players (1st place was $2210). I finished 31st.

I decided to play in the 8:00 pm tourney at Binions. Unlike Friday, Saturday and Sunday's 8:00 pm tourneys, their entry fee matches the daily tourney buy ins. Therefore, once again I ponied up $110 (they original $70 buy-in and my $40 add-on). There were 72 entries and it once again paid the top ten finishers. I made the final table and managed to finish 6th which paid $354. I ended up all-in with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], against QQ and could not improve.

Tuesday's totals: +$34
Trip totals: -$301


Wednesday, January 19th

Last day to play. Back to the Golden Nugget one more time. I invested the $60 +$40 add-on for a $100 investment. Forty of us signed up and it would pay the top five (1st place $1480). I made the final table for the 4th time this trip. I finished 7th. I will set up the hand that busted me. Eight players left in the game. Blinds are $2000/$4000 and I have $8000 and pick up KK in the SB. UTG folds, UTG+1 (chip leader) limps in. UTG+2 goes all-in for his last $2000, folds to me in SB and I push (my $2000 SB plus my last $6000). BB thinks for a long time and finally calls the $4000 to him and UTG+1 does the same. Flop comes T86 rainbow and I am feeling pretty good. I am all in so BB acts first and bets $4000. UTG+1 folds to the bet so we all turn over our cards. UTG +2 has A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], I have KK and BB has T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. Nothing comes and I am out 7th. Oh well.

I decided to play in the 4:00 tourney at the Plaza. I was a little disappointed that there were only 12 of us. However, it was my last day and I wanted to play as many tourneys as I could. I bought in for $60, caught a few hands and at the break was the chip leader so I did not make an add-on. This tourney was only going to pay the top 3 postions (1st-$315, 2nd-$190 and 3rd-$125). When we got three of us, we decided to make a three way chop of $210 per person.

My final tounrey of the trip was the 8:00 pm tourney at Binions. I paid $110 ($70 initial buy in +$40 add on). There were 57 players and it paid the top seven (1st place $1770). I finished 24th.

Wednesday total: -$60
Trip total: -$361


I had a great time even though I did not play very well. I really expected to win money and failed to do so. I will do it again. I know this is a lengthy post, but I thought it might help others who are planning on going to Vegas and want to play in some fairly cheap tourneys.

[grickey]

You were a winner two out of three trips this year that's not bad.You just had some of the same cards I had in November.All we can do is learn from our mistakes in order to improve.You are alot better than you think you are ,BTW.